


The Flash

by ReallyStressedCollegeStudent



Category: The Flash (TV 2014), The Flash - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:54:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 118,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29615301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReallyStressedCollegeStudent/pseuds/ReallyStressedCollegeStudent
Summary: Collection of all ReallyStressedCollegeStudent works on The Flash and related characters. Characters Written for so far:Eowells, Harry Wells, HR Wells, Savitar, Eobard Thawne, Malcolm Merlyn (Legion of Doom)
Relationships: Earth-19 Harrison "HR" Wells/Original Character(s), Earth-19 Harrison "HR" Wells/Original Female Character(s), Earth-2 Harrison "Harry" Wells/Original Character(s), Earth-2 Harrison "Harry" Wells/Original Female Character(s), Eobard Thawne | Harrison Wells/Original Female Character(s), Eobard Thawne/Original Female Character(s), Malcolm Merlyn/Original Character(s), Malcolm Merlyn/Original Female Character(s), Savitar (The Flash TV 2014)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 2
Collections: The Flash Shots and Series





	1. Index

**Index of Works**

1\. Index  
2\. He's Mine (Harry Wells)  
3\. And I'm Yours (Harry Wells)  
4\. How Not to Fake a Date (Harry Wells)  
5\. Slushies and Sweaters (Harry Wells)  
6\. Last Christmas (Harry Wells)  
7\. Unrequited (Savitar)  
8\. Twisted (Savitar)  
9\. Waiting For Superman (HR Wells)  
10\. Requited (HR Wells)  
11\. The Song I Sing (Eowells)  
12\. Birds of a Feather (Eowells)  
13\. Flock Together (Eowells)  
14\. What We Made (Eowells)  
15\. What We Became (Eowells/Eobard Thawne)  
16\. What Took You So Long? (Malcolm Merlyn)  
17\. Sorry I'm Late Honey, Traffic Was A Bitch (Malcolm Merlyn)  


WIP/In Progress/Going To Write (see a title you like? comment and I'll work on it, in the mean time I'm just picking away at the list)

• A Price To Pay (Savitar!Barry)

• Wrong Man (Eowells)  
• Quiet (Eowells)  
• Payback (Eowells)  
• At War With Love (Eowells)  
• In His Head (Eowells)  
• We Belong Together (Eowells)  
• Irresistible (Eowells)  
• Firelight (Eowells)  
• Him & I (Eowells)  
• All I Need (EoWells)

• Musical Chairs (Harry Wells)  
• New Years Party (Harry Wells)  
• I Hate Love Songs (Harry Wells)  
• Desk (Harry Wells)  
• Electric (Harry Wells)  
• Salvia (Harry Wells)  
• Clematis (Harry Wells)  
• Peony (Harry Wells)  
• Myrtle (Harry Wells)  
• Centaurea (Harry Wells)  
• Ivy (Harry Wells)  
• Breaking Point (Harry Wells)  
• You Idiot! (Harry Wells)  
• Maids (Harry Wells)

• Just a Fool (H.R. Wells)

Legion of Doom:

• Doomworld (Eobard)


	2. He's Mine (Harry Wells)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **He’s Mine:** Rowan has long since pined over the dark, grumpy, and stoic Harrison Wells from Earth Two, and after a fun round of drinking and a game of truth or dare, she ends up stuck between a rock and a hard body er… place, hard place. So after both Rowan and Harry get blackmailed into going to a nightclub party, things heat up when a cupcake meets an early demise at the taloned hands of a barbie wannabe. Rowan does not like sharing her cupcakes with anyone, and she especially doesn’t like being challenged, especially by a woman who stole her cupcake, and is now setting her eyes on Rowan’s object of interest. Harry.  
>  **Warnings:** Language, Explicit scenes 18+ please (be safe, wrap it up pls), drinking (be responsible)  
>  **To Note:** Slightly out of character Harry Wells for plots sake, Harry Wells x OC, OC has extreme anxiety and is constantly flipping between second guessing herself and feeling somewhat okay.

“No, no way, when hell freezes over, nah, nope, nein, nyet, want it in Spanish? Noh! I’ll take a pass on that Iris.” I said, shaking my head with vigor. She raised an eyebrow at me while crossing her arms. 

“Then I guess you’re going to have to tell him.” She replied smugly while Caitlin snickered underneath her breath. My face flushed a brilliant red as I started to sputter for words. Harry, who had been sitting across the room looked up at my choking sounds. My eyes darted to Harry’s curious ones as the two woman in front of me smirked. 

“Oh go back to your tinkering,” I snapped at him, my face somewhat pink, before turning to the two hyenas in front of me. Harry huffed in response, and the sounds of him tinkering resumed. “NO! Absolutely not! I refuse both!”

“It’s one or the other, we all did our tasks, you have to pick, go to the party, or tell him.” I threw up my hands into the air. 

“Both of them are terrible!” I exclaimed. “And you know how I feel about those types of things!”

“Okay!” Cisco yelled from where he had been fiddling with his tablet. “I get that you three need female time and all, but I don’t think us men need to hear about your girl problems.” 

The three of us all turned to Cisco who was giving us a look, and before I knew it, Iris had my wrist in her grasp and was pulling me along. 

“We are going with option one by default.” Iris chirped as she dragged me out of the cortex with Caitlin clicking after us in her heels. 

“But I don’t have anything to wear!” I whined, trying to wiggle myself out of Iris’s grasp, and my future self out of having to do to the party tonight. 

“Which is why we enlisted Jesse’s help.” Caitlin said as we neared the elevator. “She managed to get her hands on some outfits that should fit you.”

“You say that like its a good thing.” I muttered lowly.

“To get you and your love life started? Absolutely.” Iris answered, flashing me a brilliant smile. “It’s obvious and it is time we do something about it.” 

“What’s obvious?” I questioned as the elevator started going down. “My ineffaceable love for a man I cannot have or my unrequited love for a man fifteen years my senior?”

The elevator doors dinged open just as I finished my sentence revealing Jesse who was dressed in jeans, a shirt, and a leather jacket. 

“Oh I wouldn’t call it unrequited, Rowan.” Jesse said, putting her hands on her hips. “I know my dad, and you have no idea how many times I’ve caught him staring at you when he thinks no one is looking.” 

“He does not.” I huffed as I exited the elevator. “And for the record, I do not want to be here, nor do I want to be at the party.”

“Duly noted,” 

*****

“Have I told you how much I hate you right now?” I asked as I glared at myself in the mirror of Iris’s bedroom. We all had gone to a salon, well I had been dragged, and gotten our hair, nails, and faces done up professionally for the night.

In an explanation for why the party was such a big deal, it was basically a party that was held once a year at Central City’s biggest club. It was technically a party for some radical art movement, but pretty much everyone uses it as a chance to get out and party hard. 

I’ve never been, and I don’t want to go, but at this point in time, it was either go and suffer for several hours where I at least would have access to alcohol, or tell Harry that I had a thing for him, and have for a while. 

Obviously I ended up going with the first option, no need to have my heart torn in half by Harry Wells, a man notorious for not mincing his words. 

“Mhm, you’ll thank me when you have men drooling over you.” Iris mused as she played with my red hair, adding a few more spritzes of hair glimmer. I had no say in how my hair was done, so my dark red hair was currently curled and gathered into a bun with a silver pin holding everything all together. 

The makeup she had chosen for me was bold, bright red lipstick, black glittering eyeshadow surrounding my blue eyes, and highlighter that would make my face glow underneath the club lights, according to Jesse. With my look so far, I was horrified to think of what I would be forced to wear, and even more so now that Caitlin had run off with my glasses. 

I’ll just bumble around for the night, my short sightedness made things blurry, and since I was most definitely going to have heels shoved on my feet, my balance was going to be terrible. I was not a girly girl, I never dressed like one, wore heels, particularly cared for my looks, and I didn’t have contacts because I always ended up messing with them… and then poking myself in the eye. 

I guess the girls just wanted to see me dressed up for once, and this was the perfect chance to do so. Crossing my arms, I kept my red lips shut as Iris set the glitter spray down and looked over her shoulder. 

“Jesse, is everything ready?” Iris asked the speedster. Jesse zipped out of the room for a moment before coming back, a bag in her hands. 

“All here,” She said with a smile. “Specially borrowed from a friend of mine who happens to be the same size as Rowan.” 

“I’m going to kill multiple people tonight,” I groaned as Jesse bounced over with a big smile. She set it down on Iris’s bed and pulled out black fishnet tights, a pair of wicked black heels with a red sole, and a metallic dress, completely covered in square rhinestones. My eye ticked before I added, “and then myself.” 

“Don’t be a drama queen,” Caitlin said as she walked over, messing with her earrings. “It’s a nightclub, lots of flashing lights, you’ll catch every eye in the venue wearing that, and those heels… even I’m jealous, those are Louboutin.”

I stared blankly at Caitlin. 

“Am I supposed to know what that means?” The dress was shoved into my hands and I was pushed towards the bathroom. With a defeated whine on my red lips, I sulked into the bathroom to seal my fate. 

Undoing the robe, I held up the dress before sighing. Sans bra it was going to have to be. Unclipping my bra, I let it drop to the floor before balancing on one foot and stepping into the skirt part of my dress.

I pulled the clinging material up my hips and over my already scandalous enough thong, the skirt of the dress stopped at my lower back, leaving the front of it with its thin silver straps being the only thing to protect my modesty. 

Internally groaning to myself, I put my arms through the straps and pushed the dress up until it was resting on my shoulders. One look at myself in the mirror and my cheeks were flaming and I wanted to rip the damn thing off. 

The dress did indeed cover my breasts, but only just so much, and as for my cleavage, never before have I had this much. The drape neckline had a pretty good amount of cleavage, the silver fabric draping in just the right place. Everything would be perfect if I didn’t feel like the thong I wore was giving me a wedgie…

I looked pretty, heck I would dare say I even looked hot, but this wasn’t me. This wasn’t Rowan, the generic, average intelligence woman who scraped out a B plus average in college. But I had made a promise to the girls that whatever happened at game night, I would follow through, so I just had to suck this up and wait for the night to end. 

A fist banged on the door. 

“I know you aren’t hiding out in that bathroom Rowan!” Caitlin sang from outside the door. “Don’t make me come in there!” 

Bending down, I gathered the robe and my discarded bra before standing up and opening the door. 

“Believe me,” I stated blandly. “I want this night to end so I’m not dawdling.” 

“I’m officially wondering why you are still single,” Caitlin muttered as I passed her and headed back into Iris’s bedroom. 

“Alright, what other monstrosities do you want me to put on?” I asked, eyeing the fishnet tights. They were black, and occasionally had rhinestones embedded in them to give them an extra sparkle. 

Jesse grabbed the tights and swapped them for my bra and robe.

“Put those on, and by the way, they’re stockings, not tights.” She said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. “They go up to your thigh.”

“Someone help me,” I moaned as I sat on the edge of Iris’s bed and lifted my right foot. Slipping the first stocking on my foot, I stretched out my leg, pulling the material up until it reached my high thigh, and under my dress by about two inches.

“Okay,” Iris said, bounding back into her room with a bright smile. “Barry and Cisco have done their job, and will meet us at the party.” 

“What did you do?” I asked as I started working on the next stocking, Iris turned my way, and a large, devious smile slowly stretched across her lips. 

“Oh nothing, just asked them to help out with a little something the three of us have been working on.” Iris answered cheekily, and it was that moment a sinking feeling started to form in the pit of my stomach. “You look beyond gorgeous, I know a few men who’ll appreciate that tonight.”

I huffed at her before lowering my left leg and looking down at myself, considering that my dress was one hundred percent comprised with sparkling rhinestones, the occasional few on my fishnet stockings actually worked quite well with the look. 

Reluctantly, and with a sigh, I grabbed the insane heels with the red sole and slipped my feet into them. Setting my now heeled feet onto the floor, dread filled my body at the notion of having to wear these for the rest of the night. 

A promise is a promise, and I didn’t break mine. 

“Alright, the woman of the night is dressed, ready to break hearts, and capture one, everyday else ready?” Jesse asked, now completely dressed up in a modest purple dress. 

“Oh, one last thing,” Caitlin said before grabbing a box and opening it, revealing four thin cuffs, all black. “Cisco made these so if we lose anyone, we can track them down, and if anyone comes across a guy who doesn’t understand the word no, well it also has a panic button that alerts the others and can provide a pretty nasty shock if need be.” 

Getting to my feet, I walked over to Caitlin and took one of the brackets, sliding it around my small wrist. 

“Glad to know that the boys care.” Iris chimed before a honk outside the house could be hear. “And that’s our ride, come on, we’ve got a night of fun ahead of us.” 

Grabbing my small black clutch I had dug out of the bottom of my closet, I checked to make sure I had my drivers license, cash, one credit card, the ticket to get into the club, and my phone. Everything was there, slipping it onto my wrist, I followed the others out of Iris’s room.

“So we’re meeting the boys at the club, where exactly? Since I am assuming that this place will be packed.” I asked as we piled into the taxi Iris had called. “Because it’s going to be dark, crowded, and loud.”

“Barry said he and Ralph would meet us by the south bar, where the desserts will be put when it gets past ten thirty.” Caitlin answered as she double checked her lipstick using a compact mirror. 

“Dessert?” I asked, perking up a bit. The three girls smirked at me, knowing full well that I loved to eat all kinds of baked goods, especially cakes and cupcakes.

“Yet another reason to hang around,” Iris grinned. “The food is supposed to be really good, my friend at Jitter’s says that its catered from a bakery here in Central City, and they go all out to keep with the artistic theme.”

“Well I guess that means I’ll be counting the minutes until ten thirty.”

“At least try to have fun before that, maybe dance with a couple guys, have a drink?” Jesse asked, her eyes turning pleading and big. 

“Drink? Yes.” I stated before pressing my lips together. “Dancing? Eh, maybe, depends on the song… and how drunk I am at that point.” 

Jesse groaned and shook her head, mumbling about stubborn adults not wanting to let loose and have fun, but didn’t pester me anymore. We decided to get dropped off a block away since the venue would no doubt be swarmed with limos and fancy cars dropping off people who flaunted their money. 

So holding our coats close to our bodies, we scurried the one block to the nightclub. Or at least Iris, Jesse, and Caitlin scurried, I pretty much wobbled along, my balance not exactly coordinated with my heels yet. 

Weaving through the throngs of chattering people, we hopping in line to get into the club, holding out tickets close to our body. As we waited, it hit me. 

“Wait Caitlin, you said that Barry and Ralph are meeting us at the south bar… what about Cisco? I thought he was coming?” I asked her as we steadily moved up in line.

“He is,” Caitlin replied with and of her chin. “He’s just taking care of something for us last minute, he’ll meet up with us when he is done. You know he’d never miss this.”

“Yeah he’s been talking about this for the last three months.” Jesse added while nodding. “He’ll be here… hopefully…” She muttered the last part, which I raised my eyebrow at, but didn’t question her. 

Turning my head forwards, I watched as the group of woman in front of us, scantily clad, even moreso than I, giggled as they were let in. Rolling my eyes, I stepped forwards with Jesse, Iris, and Caitlin and handed my ticket over. 

The bouncer working the door verified our tickets before putting fresh ink on the stamper and stamping the backs of our right hands with the florescent ink that would glow underneath the club lights. 

“Let the party begin,” Iris said happily before taking my wrist and pulling me into the depths of the club. 

Walking through the dark club, there was a smell of alcohol, fake smoke, sweat, cologne and perfume that seemed to follow you wherever you went. The tickling sensation in my nose took at least five minutes to away, and by then my eyes had adjusted to the dark interior and I could actually see where I was going and what was going on. 

The four of us had walked through the throngs of people already gathering and chatting away, heading for the south bar which would be less crowded at this time. We made it to the bar before Barry and Ralph, not particularly surprising considering Barry is late for everything.

I decided to look at the bar menu while the three woman started gossiping together. My eyes scanned the large list of cocktails and spirits the bars were packed with, and I found myself impressed with the selection.

My eyes landed on a drink called the Boulevardier, made with whiskey, Campari, and sweet vermouth. It packs a wallop of alcohol in a dainty cocktail that would be perfect for a night like this. Add an orange twist and I was sold. As soon as I could, I was going to get one in my hand and start slurping up the alcohol. 

“Hey!” I heard Barry call, and turning my head, I saw him and Ralph walk over wearing dressed down suits. Barry had a green vest that perfectly matched the sleek dress Iris had squeezed herself into while Ralph had on a black and silver get up, complimenting his alter ego’s suit. “Sorry we’re late, we got caught up in something, Cisco said that he’ll be along shortly, just that one of his projects is being stubborn.”

I raised my eyebrow at the statement but thought nothing of it. It didn’t surprise me that Cisco was working with his toys right up to the party. Iris smiled before walking up to her boyfriend and wrapping her arms around his neck. 

“You look rather dashing, Mr. Allen.” Iris said before pulling Barry down to plant one on him. Rolling my eyes, I looked to Ralph who was still looking around. 

“I’m surprised you gave up a night of work to come to this thing.” I commented, my lips twisting into a slight smile. Ralph’s eyes met mine and he grinned. 

“You know I’m not always thinking about work, Rowan.” He said as he meandered over to where I lounged against the bar top. “You look fantastic, why don’t you dress up more often?”

“Because I don’t like to.” I answered, blatantly honest. “Not to mention I’m showing so much skin I could be mistaken for a stripper.” 

Ralph snorted and shook his head.

“Believe me, you look far from a stripper.” He said, his smile growing. “We might end up pulling guys off you by the end of the night.”

“Ha!” I puffed out, a small smile on my lips. “Doubtful, but whatever makes you happy Dibny.” 

Jesse came bouncing over, latching onto Ralph before pulling him to the half filled dance floor. Iris and Barry were still being lovey dovey with each other so I turned to Caitlin. 

“You brought me here so I had to be subjected to those two?” I asked, jerking my thumb at our two lovesick friends. Caitlin snorted before shaking her head at me. 

“We all have to deal with it, Ro,” She said smartly and with a hint of sass. “We brought you here so we could finally get it in your two heads that you like each other, and stop pining after each other. I mean do you know how many times we’ve wanted to lock you two in the supply closet and not let you out until you admitted your feelings!? So many times…”

“What?” I asked, my eyebrows pinching together in confusion at her small rant. Caitlin took a deep breath and brushed back her wavy hair from her face. 

“Nothing, nothing, everything will work out tonight, everything will work out.” She chanted to herself before looking around. “I need a drink, anyone want a drink?” 

With that she marched off to the other end of the bar where the bartender was cleaning some glasses. Alright everyone had been acting weird tonight, and I’m not just talking about Cisco’s sudden aversion to tacos… something was going on, and I wasn’t in on it. 

Huffing, I looked down at the bar top and started drumming my red painted fingernails on it. I stared at nothing in particular until Cisco’s voice came chirping from my right. 

“I told you I’d convince him!” Cisco exclaimed shortly before there was a frightening familiar disgruntled sigh. Freezing slightly, my head turned until I saw the man the disgruntled sigh came from. 

Harry freaking Wells. In a freaking suit, that dressed down one Harrison Wells, or Eobard Thawne, usually wore. Black slacks, white shirt partially open at the top, and a black blazer. His hair was neatened up some from its usual spiky, bedhead mess, and my gut twisted and did flips as I stared at him almost slack jawed. 

The man looked unbelievably divine, albeit irritated that he was here, but nonetheless inhumanely handsome and I felt like melting in his presence. 

“Harry glad to see you out of the lab!” Iris exclaimed with a broad smile. Harry grunted in return, stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking around. His eyes caught mine, and widened slightly as I stared at him with a deer in the headlights look, my entire body now completely frozen. 

“Well, since we’re all here, let the party start!” Cisco crowed, clapping his hands together and rubbing them together. 

***** 

I was on my second pink Boulevardier, feeling the effects of the alcohol, and absolutely tired of telling men to leave me the hell alone. I had been approached at least a dozen times by men wanting a dance, or more, and each and every time I blatantly refused them. There was one thing on my mind, and they weren’t it. 

_Harry._

Groaning to myself, I brought my glass back up to my cherry red lips and took another sip of the strong drink. The alcohol hit my tongue, the Compari taking the edge off the hard liquor as it ran down my throat and into my veins. 

Well, my drinks had taken the edge off, but I still wasn’t entirely comfortable, which is why I had spent nearly the entire three and a half hours since arriving, at the bar. About ten minutes ago the desserts had come out, and that included pink frosted cupcakes. A tier of them had been placed on the bar top a few feet down from me, and naturally, I had been eyeing them since then. 

Eyeing them yet again, the bartender let out a small laugh and took one from the tier, placing it on a napkin before setting it next to my drink with a wink before heading off to help out another customer. Staring at the cupcake, I sighed to myself. 

“I’m hopeless,” 

“I wouldn’t say that,” My body perked up at the voice before I was looking over my shoulder to see Harry standing behind me, his hands in his slack pockets. “A woman who starves herself for the sake of beauty isn’t attractive at all.”

“I bet you wouldn’t say that when I’m stuffing my face with one of those,” I muttered as I pushed the cupcake aside and turned in my seat so I didn’t have to crane my neck around. Harry’s lips quirked into a rare smile. 

“Presumptuous to assume I am that chauvinistic, Miss Rowan.” Harry countered, his eyes sparkling in amusement. I let out a puff of air through my nose.

“What’d they do to get you here?” I asked before nodding my chin at the suit he wore. “And how the hell did Cisco get you into that and to actually brush our hair for once?” 

Harry briefly closed his eyes as if reliving a bad memory before shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose, just below were his glasses rested. 

“I could ask you the same, I’ve never seen you in anything more formal than that skirt you wore to Barry’s birthday party.” I remember that party, Caitlin had convinced me to wear a skirt, something about showing off my legs. I had reluctantly agreed, but not for the leg part.

“I got blackmailed into keeping a promise,” I answered simply. “It was either come here, or tell— ah, never mind, it doesn’t really matter now, does it?”

“Well now my interested is piqued,” Harry said with a slight chuckle. I eyed him before reaching for my drink and taking a sip. 

“Well, piqued is all you’re going to remain because my lips are sealed, Dr. Wells.” I coyly responded, a flicker of confidence going through my body. Yep, the alcohol was definitely helping. We exchanged further smiles.

“Regardless of what caused you to be here tonight, you look radiant, and I know everyone here thinks so too, so why are you rejecting all advances?” Harry asked, cocking head to the side. “I mean you have the looks, the body, a beautiful smile, so why do you keep saying no?” 

“Actually I was telling them to get lost,” I answered dryly before looking down into my drink. “It’s because I am not interested in anything those men have to offer.” 

“Then what do you want?” Harry asked, my lips froze halfway to my drink. Had he really just asked that? That was a very forward question and not one I ever imagined coming from a man like Harry Wells… and the way he had said it. 

“I want—“ I was cut off by a blonde woman wearing a pink dress two sizes too small, and sporting an overdone face that oozed plastic and botox. 

“Excuse me, hot stuff,” She huskily purred, batting her fake eyelashes and running her obnoxiously pink talons up his biceps. Almost instantly I saw his body language morph into one that projected that he was uncomfortable and repulsed to be in her presence and with her touch. 

She looked Harry up and down like a piece of meat she wanted to dig her fangs into, much to my annoyance and anger, and much to Harry’s embarrassment. Her florescent pink nails snatched the cupcake the bartender had been nice enough to bring over to me and with one sensuous dart of her tongue, she licked at the frosting. 

My jaw went slack momentarily before I bristled at her action and cleared my throat. The harpy’s eyes looked my way and distaste filled her golden brown ones. She sneered for just a millisecond before switching her face to a look of pure innocence.

“Oh! I’m sorry honey, this cupcake was just sitting there, and well, I licked it so its mine.” She cooed at me before turning her attention back to Harry. She licked her lips. “And hot stuff, I’ll be on the dance floor.”

Pure fire blazed in my eyes, confidence roared in my veins, and before I even knew what I was doing, I had slammed my glass on the bar top and was grabbing at the lapel of Harry’s blazer, yanking him towards me. When his head was in my vicinity, and in reach because he was so tall, I reached up with my other hand to slide my fingers into his perfectly coiffed hair and dragged his lips to mine.

His lips crashed against mine, and all that dreaming I had about what they felt like became a reality. They were soft, warm, and oh so delicious. Swiping my tongue along the seam of his lips, I was overjoyed when Harry parted his lips and traced my top one. 

I nearly jumped when I felt a hand land on my naked side and snaked around to my lower back, pulling me slightly out of my seat and into his chest. From there, Harry shifted who was in control over to him. 

Fingers pressed into my snowy skin, sending little tingles outwards like shockwaves from each touch. Harry Wells’s kisses were not innocent, but hot, fiery, passionate, and demanding. Pulling him in closer, I felt Harry lurch for a second before he caught himself with his other hand on the bar counter. 

Smirking against his dizzying and achingly possessive lips, I gently bit at his lip, a ravenous feeling for more creeping into my mind and body. I was drunk on endorphins and savored every flick and tease his tongue gave mine. 

There was a very obvious grating cough, and pulling my mouth from Harry’s red smeared one, I kept my hand buried in his hair and fingers gripping his blazer as I turned to the harpy. 

“Oh, well, I guess that means he’s mine.” I purred out, my red lips twisting into a canary smile as Harry dropped his face to my shoulder. I could feel light shakes from his body as he continued to hold me, he was trying so hard not to laugh and ruin my smug moment. 

Rage burned clear as day in her raccoon eyes, and with a dramatic sneer of her over inflated lips, she flounced off to the dance floor, shaking her skinny ass as she went. I giggled at her response, purely elated that I had one upped her and her fake look. 

“Oh that felt good,” I mused to myself, my triumphant smirk clear as day on my lips. 

Harry raised his head while I was still quietly giggling to myself, his lipstick smeared lips curled into a devious, delicious smirk. My giggling quieted as I cocked my head and looked up at him, curiosity in my eyes, and burning desire in his. 

Harry pushed away from the bar top, getting his feet under his body once more before gently cupping the side of my face and neck. 

“You, Rowan,” He hungrily rasped out as his fingers lightly glided over my skin. “Are a little fiend.” 

My lips, which still held a smirk, curved into a deeper one as I leaned up close to feel the air he breathed out. 

“What’re you going to do about it, Dr. Wells?” I queried, my eyes sparkling. “Spank me? I mean I did do us both a favor and got rid of her…” 

“Don’t tempt me,” Harry responded as I reached over for my drink napkin which was damp at this point. My fingers finding it as my surge of confidence slowly went back down to its normal level, well below average, I raised it and began wiping it at Harry’s mouth, leaning back slightly as my cheeks turned pink. 

“Well I can say that was more than enough excitement for the night.” I whispered to myself as I cleaned my red lipstick from Harry’s mouth. “I— sorry… that was completely wrong of me…”

“Rowan,” Harry said above me. I kept my eyes trained on his lips. I was almost done, almost, then I could extrapolate myself from his wonderful arms I daydreamed about, get another drink, and sulk off somewhere. “Rowan…” 

I still refused to look at him, guilt and insecurity seeping into my veins. What if he only kissed me back because he thought the blonde harpy was irritating and being in her presence killed his brain cells? What if—

My thoughts were cut off as Harry yanked my head up, forcing my slightly panicking eyes to look into his cool, calm, and collected ones. 

“Stop freaking out, and breathe.” He told me, I nodded before blinking and realizing that I had been wheezing slightly. “That’s it, deep breaths, babe.”

Oh dear lord, this is why my previous relationships never worked out. Because I am so damn insecure, I mean I now had medication to help with that, and it works wonders, but I had forgotten my dose this morning because of a last minute early meeting with my boss at the publishing company I worked at.

Closing my eyes, I focused on breathing, tuning out the throb of music, the chatter of voices, and the thoughts of Harry holding me close. Well I couldn’t tune out Harry’s hands, but my breathing returned to normal. 

“Sorry, I forgot to take my anxiety meds this morning.” I whispered. “And I’m really sorry about kissing you, I just— she was there, being a bitch, and my cupcake… and her voice was so irritating I just wanted to—“

“Rowan,” Harry spoke softly, cutting me off. “I’m not upset you kissed me, and now that I think about it, I think that if you hadn’t she would have found someway to smother herself on me.” 

“Just say no to plastic,” I muttered out automatically, making his eyebrow shoot up and his lips twitch into a smile. 

“God you’re adorable,” Harry sighed, brushing his thumb down my cheek as I turned red at his words. “Come on, you’re just going to get yourself worked up sitting at the bar for the rest of the night, and alcohol isn’t going to help either.” 

“Well it sure felt like it was helping,” I muttered as Harry pulled me in the direction of the dance floor. “What’re you doing?” 

“Jesse’s told me everything about you, including your love for dancing.” Harry grumbled. “And I might hate it, but if it helps you relax and actually enjoy yourself, I will tolerate it.” 

The current song ended a people started milling around, some leaving the floor to get drinks, others entering the floor after downing one. Harry pulled us right into the thick of it where we blended in with the suits and dresses. 

Harry spun me around so we were facing each other in the close quarters we had while I stared wide eyed up at him. 

“Yes, I like dancing, but that doesn’t mean I want to do it in front of a bunch of people!” I exclaimed, my eyes darting around to the swaying group as the DJ of the night spoke. Harry rolled his eyes before taking my hands.

He pulled me towards him so our bodies were pressed against each other before keeping his left hand entwined with my right and moving my other hand to his shoulder. When my fingers were resting against his shoulder he wrapped his arm around my back and placed his hand on the small of my back. 

“That’s fine, we’ll start out slow.” Harry said, looking down at me with surprisingly soft eyes. Curling my fingers that were pressed against his blazer, I nodded. He stared at me for a few more moments as the beginning of a romantic slow song started.

His hand briefly left my back to grab the pin in my hair, holding my waves up into a neat updo. In one soft yank, he pulled it free, releasing the sparkling red waves around my shoulders. His lips twitched as he tucked the pin into his blazer pocket and returned his hand to my back. 

“That’s better, as exquisite as your hair looked up, it looked far to rigid.” Harry said as he started moving our bodies to the rhythm of the song. “Relax, no one is looking at you but me,” He whispered reassuringly. I took a breath and briefly closed my eyes. 

No one was looking at me, no one was looking at me. Repeating those words in my head, I leaned my head forwards and rested it against his chest as we swayed to the music. Maybe getting dragged to this party wasn’t all that bad, after all, how many times did Harry Wells do something like this?

Obviously the DJ had a couple of slower songs lined up for the night to give couples a chance to have a moment with each other. I was perfectly fine with that, because with each passing song, my body got more and more relaxed. 

Harry didn’t complain, or try to slip away after I had completely relaxed, no, he seemed completely content to just slow dance with me, both of us off in our own little world. The latest slow song ended, and when the beat of the next song started, my eyes popped open and a small smile appeared on my face. 

Pulling away from Harry, I started swaying my body to the beat and music of the song, Slow Hands by Niall Horan. Harry temporarily forgotten, my swaying body was only one of what felt like hundred surrounding me. 

“Slow, slow hands. Like sweat dripping down our dirty laundry.” I mouthed along to the lyrics as my arms rose and twisted in the air, my hips still swaying side to side. “No, no chance. That I'm leaving here without you on me. I, I know. Yeah, I already know that there ain't no stoppin’.”

As the next verse came around a body stepped up to my back, and hands appeared, gripping my waist before pulling my swaying body back into another. I didn’t need to turn around to know it was Harry, the scent of his cologne filled my nose and further intoxicated me. 

My smile growing on my lips, I leaned my head back and let my body take my mind to a far off place with Harry in tow. Our bodies dissolved into one another as the song continued, and closing my eyes, I let the lyrics and friction between our bodies be the only thing on my mind. 

Dropping my arms, I let one fall to cover the hand on my waist while I wove my fingers into Harry’s black hair. Harry’s head dropped to my left shoulder, his lips pressing into my skin as I dug my finger tips into his scalp.

_Fingertips puttin' on a show  
Got me now and I can't say no  
Wanna be with you all alone  
Take me home, take me home  
Fingertips puttin' on a show  
Can't you tell that I want you, baby, yeah_

Twisting my head, I looked at Harry with a sparkle in my eye and a burning question.

“Now how is it that I got the great Harrison Wells to dance with me like this? What would Cisco think?” I questioned, my eyes glittering and my lips in a teasing smile. Harry smirked down at me. 

“Ramon would never believe you if you ratted me out,” Harry countered, leaning down and brushing his lips against mine. “So my secret is safe, besides, I am still a man.”

“Oh you naughty doctor,” I giggled over the final lyrics of the song. “Show me what those hands of yours can do then.” 

*****

The party was long forgotten in our minds as we teased each other the entire way back to the lab. After several rounds of dancing against each other and nearly making out on the dance floor, we had decided it was probably best to head back to the lab before our hands started tugging on clothing. 

At this point, I think the taxi drives were desensitized to couples leaving the nightclub because the one driving us back didn’t bat an eyelash when a brief kiss turned into a one minute passionate kiss.

Paying for the ride, I practically stumbled up the pathway to the lab doors, pulling Harry along. When we made it inside and my stumbling in my heels didn’t cease, Harry simply plucked me off my feet and up into his arms, his long legs taking us into the heart of the lab. 

As much as I wanted to attack his face and neck with my lips, feeling his skin underneath them, and sate the burning desire running through my veins, I did not want to have to clean up smeared lipstick from his skin one more time. So I opted to lightly brushed my fingers over his neck, jaw, and occasionally dipped them into the neckline of his open shirt, getting just a hint of taut skin and muscle. 

Ohoho, someone had been hiding numerous amount of muscle underneath his black sweaters, and I most certainly wanted to explore each and every inch of it. 

“Keep that up and we won’t make it to a bed,” Harry rumbled as I travel my finger along his collarbone hidden beneath cloth. 

“Well I certainly won’t complain,” I cooed in his ear, making him sigh in exasperation before turning down the hall where his room was located. Giggling at him, I tucked my head into his shoulder and closed my eyes for the rest of the way. 

Harry entered his room and kicked the door shut before gently setting me on my feet. Twisting around, I looked up into his face, my fingers lightly reaching up to brush over his lips. 

“Give me a minute to get this makeup off, okay, because as much as I love kissing you, it’ll get messy and I am not sleeping with it on my face…” Harry quirked an eyebrow at me as I extracted myself, albeit a little unsteadily, from his arms. 

Turning around on my heel, I took a step for the bathroom when a hand darting out and smacking me on my barely covered ass had me jumping with a yelp. My head swiveled around as I narrowed my eyes at Harry and rubbed my slightly stinging behind with a grumble. 

“I’m waiting,” Harry drawled out, a hint of a smirk on his lips. Huffing at him, I tossed my hair over my shoulder. “And you know I’m not a patient man.”

“Good things take time, darling,” I responded airily as I continued on my way to the bathroom. With one last look over my shoulder to see Harry staring at my ass, I entered the bathroom and shut the door. 

With the door between us, I had at least hoped the burning sensation rippling across my flushed skin would go away. It did not. 

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” I whispered to myself before lurching for the sink and fumbling for the bag Caitlin kept under the sink for when she needed to touch up her makeup. Finding it, I pulled out several makeup remover cloths.

What was I doing? Yeah, I had dreamed about this for months, day dreamed too, had a few wet dreams, but now that I was so close to fulfilling them my anxiety was through the roof and I was second guessing my actions already. Shit I really should have taken my meds. Feeling somewhat defeated, I started scrubbing at my face.

I broke down the makeup and scrubbed it off in record time before bracing myself against the sink and running a hand through my wavy, sparkling hair. My face was slightly red from my scrubbing, my lips were still red, stained from the lipstick but at least I wouldn’t be smearing the creamy substance all over Harry’s skin, and my eyes held just a hint of anxiety, bubbling underneath the burning desire. 

What if I wasn’t good enough for him now that Iris’s magic was gone? Or he was having second thoughts about me

“Ro, you better not be second guessing yourself again,” Harry’s voice mumbled from the other side of the door as he rapped his knuckles against it. “Because you’re beautiful even before you put on that make up.” 

Drunk me agreed but anxiety riddled Rowan didn’t, so with a sigh, I turned around and lurched back over to the door. Opening it up, I stared at Harry with a makeup free face, my hair all jumbled over my right shoulder, and my fingers trying not to clench into fists. 

“I can’t help it,” I whispered to him. “I mean your you… you know… incredibly hot, drool worthy, you make me all hot and bothered when you talk about science stuff I don’t understand… and then there’s me, a B average college graduate who pays her bills working at a job that may not pay well, but I enjoy.” 

“You are also forgetting cynical, impatient, and grumpy. Have you ever considered that maybe that is the very reason why I like you? Because you are passionate about what you love and put so much effort into it?” Harry asked, reaching up and cupping my jaw. “And I’d really like to show you just how much I like you before you start running away from me again. Don’t think I didn’t know what you were really trying to do when you said you wanted that lipstick off.” 

My face flushed red at his words, caught red handed as usual… 

“I do not run away from you!” I huffed at him. “I just—“

“No more excuses,” Harry said before pulling my body forwards, making my balance get thrown off so I had to rely on him to stay on my feet. I nearly crashed into his chest as he pulled my head forwards to place his lips on mine. 

Harry kissed me deeply, possessively, and with passion I didn’t expect coming from him, and which prompted my eyelids to flutter shut so I could focus solely on the sensations he was eliciting with his mouth. My hands went up to press against his chest as his arm wrapped around my bare back and his hand slipped underneath the loose fabric of my dress to caress my skin. 

When Harry started stepping forwards and pivoting our bodies, my fingers dug into the rich material of his blazer as my feet stumbled to keep up. My back hit the room wall with enough force that our lips detached as I let out an ‘oof’. 

Blinking rapidly while I caught my breath, I stared up at Harry with wide eyes as he caged me in with those arms of his I had oogled and drooled over plenty of times. 

“Harry,” I breathed out as he loomed over me, a hint of smirk on his lips, and just when I thought he wasn’t going to get any closer, he did. Leaning forwards, Harry pressed his body against my scantily clad one, pinning me to the wall as he brought his face within centimeters of mine. 

“You have no idea what you do to me, Rowan,” Harry said gruffly while I fought the heat creeping up my neck. I sputtered for words while he brushed his nose against the skin of my neck.

“What I do to you?” I stuttered out. “But your—“ 

I cut myself off as he thrust his pelvis against mine and made me very aware just how tight his pants were at the moment. The blush that had been simmering underneath my skin flooded my face as I turned completely red.

“Feel that?” Harry asked, his words quiet as his lips brushed against my ear. My breaths came out in shuddering sighs with every ground of hips against mine, and my mind was consumed by the little zips of heat echoing around in my body. “You did this, you and you alone.” 

Whimpering from the rush of arousal he was creating in my body, and the fact that it was only building, I dug my fingers into his blazer, wanting nothing more than for the material to disappear so I could flatten my fingers on his skin and soak in his body heat. 

“Will you let me show you just how much you’ve made it challenging to not drag you out of the club and fuck you against a wall in some derelict hallway just obscure enough that no one would drunkenly stumble across?” 

Dear lord, I’m pretty sure this man could make me orgasm alone just talking about the things he wanted to do to me, because I was pretty sure the uncomfortable thong I was wearing was now wet. 

“Rowan,” Harry said gently, taking my chin and bringing my eyes back up so I was looking in his eyes, my red blush now on display. “You literally have no idea how much I want you right now, but I won’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable.” 

“It’s— it’s not that Harry,” I mumbled out, my ears even turning red a little. “I just… I’m scared that you’ll change your mind come morning, and I don’t think I could take that.”

“Then let me prove to you that this isn’t a one time itch, and I doubt I could ever get enough of you.” Harry practically begged, my mind raced as I made a split second decision. It was now, or never. 

“Ravage me before I get another chance to second guess myself.” I breathed out. “And don’t let me ever think you want otherwise, and hopefully drunk me will kick in by then, because that bitch is always horny for you.” 

“With pleasure,” Harry responded with a smirk before diving back down. Our mouths met half way, slamming together in an open mouth, need filled kiss that had me reaching up and digging my fingers into his hair for more. 

Tugging at his dark strands, his mouth muted my moan as his fingers traced the lace elastic bands of the fish net hosiery that sparkled underneath the low lighting of the room. With his fingers torturing my thighs, I bit at his lower lip, tugging at it with my teeth.

“Is that how you want it?” Harry asked, his voice husky and his eyes dark. 

“Don’t make me beg for it, Harrison,” I whispered against his lips. 

“I’ll save that for a later date then,” Harry responded in a teasing tone. His fingers quickly found the thin back of the thong I wore, and in seconds was tearing it free from my body, allowing the skimpy material to fall to the floor. 

While his fingers slid back to cup my ass, my own dropped down and were quickly working his belt loose and unzipping that tight zipper. Soon his own fingers were joining mine, shoving his slacks and briefs down just enough so the erection he had been teasing me with was free.

“God I need you in me,” I groaned as I pressing my hands into the wall my back was pressed against. “I need you in me so bad,” 

“Good,” Harry purred back before his hands reached down and he was shoving them against my hips, sliding the skirt of my dress to reveal the elastic straps of my thigh high hosiery. With my dress bunched up around my waist, I let out a gasp as he all but hoisted me up against the wall, gripping me by my legs. 

My arms automatically went around his neck, scrambling for something to hold onto while I wrapped my heel clad legs around his waist with a small squeal. Well, this was another admission on Harry’s part, the man was built like a god, and strong like one too. 

Staring down into Harry’s eyes, my cheeks long since flushed, I was once against enraptured by his beautiful blue eyes. So enraptured I didn’t even register that he was pushing into me until he was at least half way there. Sucking in a deep breath, a moan crawled up my throat as I dug one hand into his hair and the other into the skin of his shoulder, and when he started to move, oh I was completely gone. 

With every even paced thrust and soft grunt, my back and shoulders scraped slightly against the wall of the room, adding just a hint of sting I found I didn’t quite mind. Harry leaned in for more kisses which I welcome with zero resistance. Our kisses were sloppy at this point, his thrusting throwing our poorly aimed kisses off. 

That didn’t matter, we just wanted our hands on each other and our lips working against each other. If I wasn’t completely drunk from my drinks at the club, I was now just from the way his mouth twisted with mine. Breaking apart to breath, I panted for breath while trying not to whine from the way Harry managed to hit every spot that brought my body to life. 

As my eyes fluttered from the sensation of fullness and pure rapture, my head flopped back against the wall, offering Harry a chance to latch onto pristine, unmarked skin. His mouth started kissing and biting at my skin, inciting me to push his head further into my neck and chest with a groan. 

I knew just from the way he was sucking and pulling at my skin he was leaving marks of possession, staying true to his words. My fingers slid through his combed hair, ruffling it back to its perpetually messy state, but at this point, I was consumed by the intense feeling that was filling my body faster than I could understand. 

“Jesus,” I hissed out, my hand on his shoulder digging in as my nails scraped his skin, no doubt leaving red marks on his gorgeous skin.

“And here I thought you knew better than to call another man’s name while I’m in you,” Harry said against my skin, that teasing tone back in his voice. Breathlessly laughing out loud, I couldn’t help but bury my face into his wild hair. 

“Not to worry, Dr. Wells, you do your job and the only name on my tongue will be yours.” I cooed in his ear, which seemed to please him because the next moment he was thrusting at a different angle, harder, and seemed like a man on a mission with his lips against my chest. “Fuck— Harry!”

“That’s it baby girl,” Harry said hoarsely as his lips ghosted up my neck and brushed against my ear. “It’s me making you feel this good, not Dibny, not Palmer, me. Say it again.” 

“Harry,” I groaned out, my nails digging further into his shoulder.”Harry, Harry, Harry!” 

That seemed to make him happy because his head turned and his lips sought out mine, capturing them as he relentlessly thrust his hips against mine, driving his length as far as he could go into my body. Harry’s teeth tugged at my lips before he flicked his tongue over the bitten spots. 

All it took for me to get pushed over the edge was one placed thrust and I was screaming his name as my orgasm rushed through my body like a tidal wave. One enormous surge of fire burned through my veins, turning my legs to jello and making them go slack around his waist, his hands and arms now being the only thing holding me up. 

Gasping for air, I loosened my tight hold on his hair and removed my nails from his back, my arms trembling as I came down from the high. Harry pulled out as he planted a few delicate kisses on some of my stinging skin.

I dropped my shaky legs back to the floor, standing very wobbly with the heels and my jello legs combined as Harry briefly took a moment to slide himself back into his pants and button them. 

Wetness ran down my inner thighs, no doubt ruining the expensive hosiery, and at that moment all I could do was ask myself if that really just happened. 

Did grumpy, stoic, yet incredibly handsome Harry Wells just fuck me up against a wall? Clothes and all? Yes he had and I was surprised to find that I found that kind of a turn on. Drunk me really was a horny bitch… I guess it was a good thing I rarely got drunk then.

Harry moved his face so he was staring into my eyes, and for a few moments all we did was stare at each other and breathe. His hands left my thighs, and smoothed out my bunched up dress before one trailed all the way up to rest against my flushed cheek. 

“Harry?” I asked in a small voice, not really sure what was going to happen now, and that word being the only one my mind was capable of speaking. 

His eyes sparkled in satisfaction for a moment before he was leaning in and pressing his lips back to mine, his hand cradling my head. But rather than an intense, need filled, semi chaotic kiss, his lips were gentle against mine, like butterfly wings against skin, or snow landing on eyelashes.

“I think I reached optimal satisfaction considering that the only thing coming out of your mouth for the last three minutes has been my name.” Harry mused, his lips still lightly brushing against mine. 

My already flushed cheeks turned pink at his words, and at my realization that he was one hundred percent correct. I would have continued to softly sputter and blush trapped against the wall if realization hadn’t hit me. 

“Harry,” I said, blinking up at him. “You didn’t—“

“Not important,” He responded, cutting my words off with a brush of his thumbs across my sensitive lips. “What’s important is that you are treated like the woman you are, and given exactly what you need.”

“I’d say so,” I mumbled quietly, my eyes darting away as heat rushed across my cheeks once more. “I mean I don’t usually… well… I mean…”

“I’m not a particularly selfish man when it comes to my own desires,” Harry spoke after I had blushingly trailed off. “But I am selfish about how I treat my woman, and I’d like to have my way with you and your incredible body if you’d allow me.”

“Well you kind of already did,” I answered shyly, my legs shifting and once again reminding me of the ever present warmth he had caused. 

“I told you that I wanted to show you that this isn’t a one time itch, Rowan, and I am only just getting started.” 

“Oh,” I breathed out, the buzzing sensation of arousal coming back to life. My face brightened up with hope. “So does that mean one more round? Because this dress is starting to get itchy and these heels are killing my feet…”

The smirk that formed on his face told me exactly what he was thinking, and even anxiety riddled Rowan seemed excited about that.


	3. And I'm Yours (Harry Wells)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **And I’m Yours:** Harry is Rowan’s for the night… or is it the other way around? It seems that their scheming friends plan has worked, and Rowan and Harry cannot keep their hands off each other, or keep their clothes on for that matter. Locked in heated passion, Rowan let’s Harry have his way with her, disregarding her insecurities for that night. The question is, will Rowan get her cupcake at the end of a very long night beneath the sheets?  
>  **Warnings:** Language, Explicit scenes 18+ please (be safe, wrap it up pls), implied drinking (be responsible)  
>  **To Note:** Slightly out of character Harry Wells for plots sake, Harry Wells x OC, OC has extreme anxiety and is constantly flipping between second guessing herself and feeling somewhat okay. Continuation of He’s Mine (cause it was getting longgg)

My calves hit the end of Harry’s bed and I found myself tumbling backwards onto the mattress, my hands reaching behind me to soften my abrupt fall. Before I had a chance to push myself back to my feet Harry was dipping down, caging me in as his sinful mouth brushed against mine once more, tugging at my lips and brushing his tongue against mine.

Somewhere in the mess of our rabid kissing and wandering hands, I had shoved the blazer off his shoulders and flung it into the depths of the room, and then uncoordinatedly unbuttoned at least half the buttons on his white shirt. The shirt might not have come off, but the flashes of his sculpted chest I occasionally got were well worth the partial effort.

Harry had my mind spinning like a hurricane, chaotic, fast, and hungry. Not once did I have a chance to take a small breather and allow for my brain to catch up with my body, and the incredible sensations the man was pulling from my body with mere kisses and light touches. 

Already he had shattered my perception of what it was like to be intimate with a man, and up against a wall, nearly fully clothed no less. For a man who spent most of his time in front of a white board, or tinkering with a piece of machinery too complex for me to understand, he knew his way around a woman’s body. 

Harry pulled away and I felt him gently take my right leg, pulling it up as he ran his fingers down the fishnet hosiery. Our eyes connected as his fingers reached the heel I wore, and with baited breath, I watched as he pulled the monstrosity from my foot, releasing it from the pain I had been torturing it with for the last five hours.

The heel was dropped onto the floor and promptly forgotten as Harry moved onto my left leg, doing the same with my remaining heel. How in the hell could he make an action such as taking off my heels seem so sensuous and intimate? 

“Your going to kill me if you go any slower Harry,” I whispered out, my fingers fisting the bedding. He gave me a sly grin as he let my remaining heel drop to the floor, keeping that smile on his lips, he prowled back up so he was leaning back over me. 

“Haven’t you ever heard of patience, sweetheart?” Harry asked, cocking his head to the side. “I’d like to enjoy slowly stripping you out of your clothes. Your snowy skin flushes a beautiful rosy hue, and the color deepens with every inch of skin I expose.” 

Said hue burned across my cheeks as I bit down on my lip, sniffling the whimper that wanted to come crawling out of my mouth and make me look even more a mess than I already was. I mean my inner thighs were still wet from my last orgasm, and zero effort had been put into cleaning them up. At this point, the fishnet tights probably needed to be hand washed considering how wet I felt down there, and I had a feeling that if they didn’t come off, they’d only get wetter. 

“So get to it then, I’m not getting any younger, and neither are you,” I huffed out, pouting my lower lip out slightly in an exaggerated move. His eyebrow twitched before he bent down and trailed his nose down my cleavage. Feeling his breath against my chest was almost euphoric itself, just barely a kiss of his hot lips against the chilled skin of my chest. 

Moaning slightly, my head dropped back slightly as I unconsciously thrust my chest into his face, needing more heat and butterfly kisses. His mouth brushed away from my skin upon reaching the drooping neckline of my short dress, and a few seconds later I felt his fingers pushing the hem of the dress up. 

“Rowan,” Harry called softly, and with a groan of arousal from his fingers lightly brushing against my upper thigh, I raised my head back up and looked at him. His eyes burned into mine. “Take your eyes off me and I stop,”

My eyes widened a fraction of an inch as he smiled deviously at me. Oh, oh my god, was he serious? With that look I think he was, how could he be so divinely sinful and giving, yet be so cruel at the same time. Oh wait, this is Harry Wells, of course he’s got a teasing, yet controlling side to him.

“That’s just mean,” I sighed out, his only response was his signature smirk as his fingers dug underneath the elastic band of fishnet hosiery on my right leg. Harry began pulling the fishnet down my thigh at a slow, torturous pace, a pace I was beginning to see that he liked using.

With every slow inch of skin that was revealed, Harry ran his nose over the revealed skin, occasionally planting kisses or ever so briefly sucking the skin into his mouth. My nostrils flared as my red fingernails dug into the bedsheets and I kept my eyes steady on his messy black hair. 

His very touch had my leg shaking slightly from the delicate touches and the little zings of pleasure that burst from the places Harry’s mouth landed on. When his fingers brushed the underside of my knee, my leg physically jerked in place and a small whimper managed to escape from my lips. 

The worst part was I could feel Harry’s smirk against my skin, and I could swear that the man got off by teasing me like this. Clamping down on my lip, I breathed heavily through my nose as the stocking was pulled free of my foot, Harry’s hand gently holding my leg as he kissed my knee a few times. 

“Have I told you that I love the way you smell?” Harry questioned, his lips moving against my skin and making a shiver run up my spine. “You always manage to smell like vanilla, and it drives me crazy.” 

“It’s just my body wash and lotion…” I mumbled out as he finally lowered my leg and trailed his fingers back up to work on my left.

“That doesn’t make you any less intoxicating,” He responded as he ran his nose down my leg, planting a few stray kisses on the delicate flesh of my inner thigh as he went. The fishnet was removed and within seconds Harry was climbing back up to hover over me, his mouth back on mine with heavy open kisses. 

Letting out a moan into his mouth, my fingers reached up and buried themselves into his hair. My body once again felt like it was on fire, and needed every touch he had to give. Pulling away, I gasped for air while Harry decided to switch direction, moving back towards my legs as his hands wrapped around my hips. 

I had a pretty good idea what he was planning on, and the very thought made heat and electricity run through my body. My fingers remained buried in his hair as the short skirt of my dress was pushed up to my navel.

Cool air hit my naked lower body, making my wet inner thighs more apparent, and a slight shiver run up my spine. Harry didn’t dive right in like I expected him to, instead his mouth landed on the tender skin of my thigh and he started sucking. 

I bite down on my lip, a soft, yet strained grunt leaving my mouth as intense pleasure radiated from where his mouth worked magic. Harry had me in a quivering mess before his mouth even reached its intended destination, and at this point, I wondered how I was ever going to last. No man had ever gone to this length just to explore my body. 

The moment Harry flicked his tongue through my folds my hips were jerking underneath his hands and a squeak of surprise left my lips at the foreign feeling. My initial reaction to that one action had Harry pushing down on my hips and dragging my body further into his mouth as his tongue went to work.

I couldn’t help the lewd sounds that tumbled out of my mouth, nor the wiggling and twitching my body did underneath him. My neck burned from strain as my chin dropped back and my fingers dug further into Harry’s dark hair, seeking purchase of any kind. Wiggling against his hold, I panted and cursed underneath my breath at how pliant and reactive my body was being to his touch. 

“Harry,” I whimpered as my walls started twitching in pleasure, coming undone from his wicked lashing and just when I thought he couldn’t be any more torturous, he was. My eyes rolled back and my back arched off the bed as he slipped a finger inside my quivering body and brushed against my already hyper sensitive walls. “Fuck, Harry— damn it, I can’t—“

He let out a pleased sound as words and curses tumbled out of my mouth, and I struggled even more underneath his ironclad grip. My walls finally clenched around his finger as the fire in my belly burned red hot, and with a sharp cry I found myself locked in my second orgasm of the night.

My legs shook in his hold and my fingers released his hair as my body went limp and lightheadedness hit me. No one had ever managed to pull two orgasms out of my body in one night, let alone one, or make me feel like my entire body was floating. Panting heavily for breath, I lie limp, sprawled out on the bed, every inch of my body trembling in the aftershocks of pleasure. 

While I stared at the ceiling, trying to catch my breath, Harry crawled up and hovered over me, a little smirk on his lips and his electric blue eyes sparkling. 

“Still with me, babe?” He asked as he held his body up with one hand and used the other to stroke my cheek. All I could manage to get out at this point was a moan in reply, my legs jello, my body trembling, and my mind mush. 

Harry chuckled at my voiced reply before leaning down and pressing a steamy, open mouthed kiss against my jaw. I let out a big sigh at the delicate, yet passionate kisses he continually pressed against my skin. I was floating in heaven, and I doubt I would come down for hours. 

“I suppose with age comes experience?” I asked, finally finding my voice one more. “Because I have never had more than one orgasm and right now I feel like a tub of jello. Jiggly, yet delicious.”

“I can agree with that,” Harry replied, smiling against my jaw line. “You are quite delicious and the fact that you feel like jello means I’ve done my job.” 

“God you are so full of yourself,” I complained, my right hand reaching up and planting itself on his cheek.

“I don’t hear you complaining about it.” He teased back, planting a light kiss on my nose before pulling back just enough so we could look in each others eyes. 

“That’s because I’m too smitten with you to care.” Rather than smirk triumphantly at my words, his lips curved into a genuine smile, complete with his adorable dimples that were rarely shown. “But I would appreciate getting the luxury of looking at those muscles of yours you hide underneath your black sweater.” 

“That I can do,” Harry said before leaning back on his shins. I propped myself up in my still slightly shaking arms, watching in rapt attention as his long and nimble fingers deftly undid the pearl white buttons on his dress shirt. 

The first look I had at his chest had my jaw dropping slightly open, and then some as he rolled his shoulders, pulling the white garment off his arms, tossing it to the side like it was a mere scrap of cloth. Good lord Almighty, just his arms were drool worthy, but them combined with a toned chest, someone spritz me with water before I combust, or catch of fire…

“You would look incredibly sexy being spritzed you know,” Harry purred mid mind monologue. My eyes widened. 

“Did I say that out loud?” I whispered, mortification blooming on my face like a rose in the sun. He chuckled at me before scooting back and stepping of the bed. Propping myself fully up, my dress sliding back down my body, I watched as he reached for his dress pants which remained unbuttoned. In a quick second, he had his pants off and those too got tossed to the floor. 

“I’m slightly disappointed that you don’t mutter your thoughts more often, Ro,” He said as he pushed his underwear down revealing the erection he currently had, and— and dear lord that had been in my body?

My cheeks flushed as heat pooled in my stomach. Stop it Rowan, stop staring at it and look up. I forced myself to drag my eyes back up to his, which where shining with mischief. 

“Like what you see?” Harry questioned, his eyebrow raised expectantly while I pushed down the simmering blush I knew dusted my cheeks. My fingers curled into the bedsheets beneath my fingers. 

“Quite so,” I whispered, my eyes trying their hardest to stay connected with his. Harry was soon crawling back on the bed nearing where I had shifted myself to kneel on the sheets. With our eyes still connected, I felt his hands brush against my naked hips before gathering the hem of the my slinky sliver dress. 

When he started pulling the itchy fabric up my body, his knuckles grazing my ribcage as he did so, I couldn’t help but close my eyes and let out a soft sigh of relief. As the rhinestone fabric was dragged up my arms, Harrison leaned forwards and connected our lips once more. 

The dress was pulled free from my hands and discarded, promptly forgotten as we both got lost in a sensuous kiss that had our mouths moving against each other in a slow dance of their own. Harry’s lips tugged my mine, pulling soft mewls from my body as I draped one arm over his shoulder to wrap around neck and slipped the other under his glorious arm to grip his back. 

Harry had the same thoughts as I did, wrapping his around my body and tugging me flush against his chest. My breasts pressed against his muscled chest and I couldn’t help but groan from the heat his skin was giving off and tried to flatten as much of my body as I could against his. 

That involved scooting forwards, slipping my legs around his and pressing the apex of my legs against his ‘spritz me with water I’m going to burst into flames’ worthy erection. Arousal shot through my body at the mere touching, and Harry let out a few hungry grunts. 

“So that’s how it’s going to be?” Harry questioned against my lips. Pulling my mouth away from his and leaving only minimal space between them, my eyelashes fluttered at Harry. “Because I was going to give you time to recover, but you of all people should know I am not a patient man.” 

One of his hands which originally rested on my back slid down to grasp my ass and dig his fingers into the flesh. A shiver went up my back from his touch and I couldn’t help the small moan that tumbled out of my lips. Harry took this as an initiative to thrust his hips upwards against my body, grinding against my throbbing clit and making me drop my head back with a drawn out groan. 

I couldn’t help but move my own hips, trying to create as much friction as I could get. Our noses brushed against each other and our lips just barely touched, filling my head with lightheadedness at the shared oxygen. 

Breathing heavily, I turned my head and moved my right hand to the back of his head, stretching back up to press my lips back against his in a tender, light kiss. I found myself consumed by the very feel of his lips just barely brushing against mine, his breath on my skin, and the taste of whatever scotch he had been drinking an hour ago mixed with the taste of my arousal. 

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four—

The reverie of being cradled in his arms was broken as Harry let out a small growl against my lips. His patience had run out, and classic Harry Wells style, he hoisted my body up and was quickly flattening my body back against the sheets, my legs awkwardly slipping from their kneeling position. 

Harry’s mouth was on my neck, sucking and licking my skin, surely marking it up more than it already was. Letting out a few gasps, my trembling mouth stayed open as I drew in oxygen and tried not to dig my fingernails into his back. I could feel his teeth bite at my skin, which brought little zips of pain, and then pleasure as he soothed the area with his tongue. Biting at my swollen, sensitive lip, I tried my hardest not to wiggle and writhe underneath his hold.

“Harry,” I complained, moving my hands to run my fingers across his hip bones in an effort to elicit some sort of pleasure from him. His hands quickly snapped up and removed my hands from his body, pressing them into the mattress. Our eyes met, lust in his, blazing annoyance in mine. I wanted my hands on him, and he wouldn’t let me. 

“What part of ‘I’d like to have my way with you and your incredible body’, did you not understand, Ro?” Harry questioned in a commanding tone. My eyes flashed at him as I let a growl of my own. 

“Oh for heavens sake, Harrison, let me touch you!” With a disgruntled snort, I wrenched my hands up and wrapped my legs around his torso before forcing us into a roll. I had caught Harry by surprise, which is what let me roll him in the first place, and the moment my knees steadied our moving bodies and his brain caught up to the fact that I was straddling him, his eyes darkened a shade. I leaned down so our faces were only centimeters apart, my red hair hanging around my shoulders in sparkling waves. “My turn.” 

Smiling in satisfaction as he groaned from me wiggling my hips down his body so I had access to his delicious chest, I brought my face down and ran my nose over his neck. Heat radiated from his skin and warmed my already flushed face, and the only incited me to press my lips down against his chest and drag them along. 

A tortured moan reached my ears, making me grin against Harry’s hot skin, and my grin only deepened when his hands landed on my hips and his fingers dug into my flesh. This was both payback and exploration. Perfect. 

My tongue darted out and liked a line across his collar bone, almost instantly I felt his hips slightly jerk underneath me and his erection bump my soaked clit. 

“Rowan…” Harry groaned as I continued my torturous trail down his chest, my tongue finding each and every grove he had as I crawled down his body. Naturally his hands couldn’t stay clutching my hips, so he opted to bury one of his hands into my wild mane. 

Sighing at the feeling of his fingers brushing across my scalp, I reached his defined v and brushed my lips over his skin before lifting my head just slightly to look at Harry with a devious smirk. He grunted as I placed my hands on his thighs and slowly slid them higher, my smirk growing. 

“Oh you little fiend,” He growled down at me while I let out a small giggle. 

“I’ve had quite a few vivid dreams about you, remember Harry?” I cooed up at him before diving down. My hand wrapped around the base of his length and wasting no time I ran my tongue from my hand to the tip. 

Harry inhaled sharply and I knew I had him hooked. With a gentle, and teasing touch, I moved my hand up and down while I placed a few more licks, swirling my tongue around the tip and precum leaking out. And when I completely wrapped my mouth around him, he let out a stressed groan that was music to my ears. 

Bobbing my head, I teased and twirled my tongue across his skin, enjoying the way he shuddered underneath my light touches and licks. Harry’s quiet grunts and moans were intoxicating to my ears and had me pushing him deeper into my mouth, almost to the point of gagging. 

His grip on my hair tightened, telling me exactly what he was feeling and fueling my endeavor to cause as much pleasure as he had caused me. It wasn’t hard, his erection got stiffer with every pass of my hand and bob of my head, and I could feel his muscles strain as he tried not to thrust his hips up. 

Trying to hold out was he? We’ll see about that…

I switch tactics from slow, sensuous, and teasing to faster, more pressure, and hungry. I was ravenous for this man, and I wanted him to know that. Fast paced, friction building, and hot, even I was getting turned on by working Harry over like the millions of times I had dreamed about it. 

Harry was twitching in my grasp and just when I thought I could pull an orgasm out of him, he yanked harder on my hair and bucking me off him. With an angry squeak, I lifted my head and glared at Harry. 

“Seriously?” I growled at him, my scowl deep on my face and my mouth wet from working him over. “I almost had you right where I wanted!” 

Harry didn’t say anything, choosing to slip his hands underneath my arms and drag me up his body before rolling back over so I was sadly, once again on the bottom. 

“Harry!” I exclaimed, trying to wiggle in his grip. Harry dropped his body on top of mine, successfully pinning my squirming body to the mattress as he dipped down and planted his lips on mine, his tongue delving in to swipe across mine. My protests melted into smothered moans as he kissed the fight out of my body, and he didn’t stop until I was gasping for breath underneath him. 

Pulling away, Harry’s eyes gleamed down at me, a dangerous glint in them as I panted for oxygen and my stinging lips trembled. I was half gobsmacked by the sheer possessiveness he displayed in that kiss, and half wondering what was currently running through his mind. 

“You might have had me where you wanted, but I plan on cumming when I am so deep inside you, the only sounds you’ll be making are strangled gasps and whines, and your nails are digging so hard into my back you’ll leave marks.” 

Holy hell the audacity he had to say that, and the stupid audacity of my own little mind finding that a complete and total turn on. All I could think in this moment was that possessive Harry was by far, the hottest Harry I had encountered. 

“You’re going to go three for three, aren’t you,” I whispered, heat filling my cheeks at the thought of three orgasms in one night, one session. Would I even be able to handle that? My body shuddered and trembled at the thought. 

“I told you I was going to worship you, and I keep my word.” Harry said huskily, his voice still strained from the unfinished blow job he so rudely interrupted. I shuddered again, slightly scared that my body wouldn’t even be able to keep up with that and I would just flat out pass out. “As you so eloquently put it, I’ve fucked you, and eaten you out to the point of making your legs lax, that just leaves one more job on my hands.”

Letting out a shaky breath, I stared up into his eyes, feeling him run his erection against my wet folds teasingly, and after what felt like an eternity, since Harry was a teasing bastard sometimes, he pushed into my aching core. My hips twitched underneath him with every inch he pushed in, and my only thoughts were of how full I felt, and how right this seemed. 

“And what’s that final job?” I queried softly, my eyes staring up into his as my curiosity burned bright in my chest. Harry brought his face down to mine and brushed his lips against mine, making a small whimper bubble up from my throat at the sensation, before traveling to my ear.

“Will you let me make love to you?” He asked softly in my ear. Letting out a small gasp at his words, I actually had to think those words over in my head. To fuck was one thing, pure carnal energy mixed with a need for pleasure and will to receive it at any hand willing, but to make love? 

That was opening up my body and bearing my soul to him, if I did that, he could very well slash at my heart and ruin it forever if he so desired, and I knew that if that happened, I would be destroyed. But if he didn’t, and he remained the man I so desperately thought he was, he would form an impenetrable shield around my already guarded heart, and would protect me from my own insecurities like he had tonight. 

Withdrawing my left hand from his back, I slowly reached up and slid my fingers into his messy hair, loving the way it felt against my fingers. Taking a deep breath, I turned my head ever so slightly so our eyes once again connected.

“Make love to me, Harrison Wells.” I breathed out, my fingers curling into his hair. “I’m tired of being alone.” 

“You aren’t,” He objected. “Not anymore, and never with me.” 

With those final admissions, Harry grasped my head in his large hands and pressed lips to mine. Only this time it felt a thousand times more meaningful, more passionate, more… everything. There was nothing sexual about it, and I found that I could sink into the eternal abyss that was Harry Wells and never surface again. 

Lips moving against each other in unison, zero effort or thinking required, it was just pure unadulterated love transcending into physical energy between two people who had skirted each other long enough. 

I was brought back to the now as Harry shifted his hips ever so slightly, and reminding me that the man was very much all the way in my body. My legs curled around his waist as he started thrusting, and his mouth migrated from my mouth to jaw, working over hot skin with his hotter mouth. 

Groaning softly, my head pushed back into the mattress while electricity prickled across my skin and fire was kindled in my belly. The man was a god, I was convinced, and even more so as he pulled soft cries of pleasure and pleas for do from my mouth. 

Harry detached his mouth from my neck and dragged his lips over the colored skin of my chest to finally land on the delicate skin of my breasts. Hot air blew on my skin as mind numbing kisses were planted and my skin prickled with goosebumps in delight. 

Just when I thought his mouth couldn’t get anymore intense, he drew my right nipple into his mouth and swirled his tongue around the tip. My body caved against his, twitching in his grasp as my already hypersensitive nerves fired one after another in succinct fashion, giving me no chance to recover from the last. 

A guttural whine came from my throat as I raked my fingers through Harry’s messy locks and my lungs seized in my chest. I momentarily struggled to draw in air. His actions had me lightheaded, seeing stars, and gasping for more. 

Locking my heels together to press our bodies as close as possible, my hand that was wrapped in his hair pushed his face further against my chest, begging for more even though I could already struggle to keep up with his actions. 

Fusion of desire had me practically melting into his embrace, and when his calloused hands, worked from hours of tinkering with his high tech creations detached from my cheeks and ran down my body, I couldn’t help but shiver and moan. His fingertips skimmed over my ribcage, and with one hand sliding around to my back, the other flattened out against my remaining breast, cupping it, teasing it, and massaging it like it was the most glorious thing he had ever held in his hand. 

Well it better damn be the most glorious thing he ever held, excusing his dead wife’s who I am sure had an ample bossom I no doubt would have been jealous of. Harry’s hips started to snap harder against mine and the soft panting and moans elicited from my lips grew in volume, Harry’s own grunting and panting joining mine in the dark, quiet room. 

The build up of liquid molten in my veins was slow this time, slow so in fact that I barely registered it until my entire body burned in a fiery inferno set on reducing me to a shrivled mess of bone and ash. Hand and mouth soon left my breasts, leaving me mewling for more. I didn’t have to wait long. His hands were everywhere as he sped up to a speed I had not experienced before.

“Harry!” I cried out, my hand leaving his hair to rake against his back with my other one, an overwhelming flood of intoxicating arousal and need tearing through my body like a tornado. My eyes squeezed shut, wanting the coil of tightly bound nerves to just break already.

“Don’t you dare,” Harry growled, his hand landing on the side of my face. I tore my eyes open with a grunt and stared up into his passion filled bright blue eyes. “I want to see the look in your eyes when I cum in you.”

I was about to respond when he hit a spot that left me in a wordless scream, writhing in his grasp, bucking my hipbones against his in a clashing manner, and clawing at his back to the point where I knew it could look like someone had attacked him. But I didn’t care. 

I was so lost in the reverie of pleasure, the sounds of panting, grunting, and cries mixing together. One more fast paced thrust and my mouth was gaping open as Harry finally came, hot liquid filling me and leaving me gasping for breath and staring wide eyed up at him. How could he still keep going after that? 

“Har—“ I wheezed on his name, not getting the full word out. “Har— Harry— please,” I begged, the sensations and electricity running through my body becoming to much. “I can’t, I can’t give you one more. There’s no way.”

“One. More.” Harry said quietly, commanding, unrelenting in his conquest to devour every inch of my body. “You can do it, baby, give it to me.”

Choking on a sob filled cry of pleasure, I dug my fingernails as I hard as I could into his back as it all just became far too much. Bright light flickered at the edges of my vision, adjoined by stars, and I was falling.

Fingers were gently brushing through my sweaty, yet somehow still sparkling locks, ever so slightly massaging my scalp while doing so. Cracking my eyes open, my tired eyes were greeted with Harry’s bright blue eyes peering down at me. 

“Harry?” My voiced rasped out, confusion rattling through my brain along with exhaustion and sleepiness. “What happened?” 

He chuckled lightly at me, his fingers moving to brush against my forehead. 

“You passed out for a minute or two.” Harry answered, his fingertips moving down my cheek and along my jawline. “Can’t say I’ve ever caused a woman to pass out so I guess I can add that to my personal achievements.”

“Don’t you dare, Harrison Wells,” I groaned at him. “My alcohol fueled escapades do not need to be broadcasted to the world.” 

“Wasn’t planning on it anyways,” He responded before shifting onto his side and pulling my body along with him, pressing his front up to my back and wrapping his arms around my still trembling body. “You’re mine and mine alone.” 

“Mmh, better stay that way,” I mumbled, sighing in his arms and closing my eyes as a blanket was pulled up over our bodies. 

“Always,” Harry murmured in my ear, his face nuzzling my shoulder. Another sigh passed my lips while I placed an arm over the one wrapped around my waist. There was only one thought circulating in my mind, and I couldn’t help but voice it in a whisper.

“Please don’t break me when I wake up.” 

*****

Sunlight pushed through the thin horizontal windows high above the sleek walls of Harry’s converted bedroom. My eyelids fluttered as I shifted and the light grazed my closed eyelids, jarring my senses to the point where I was wrinkling my nose. Twisting my body so I was on my stomach, I nuzzled my face further into my pillow with a heavy, drawn out sigh.

My head ached with a subtle hangover, my mouth felt like it was filled with cotton, and my body felt like I had run myself through Oliver’s training circuit back in Star city. 

“Morning,” A gravelly voice said, making my eyes fly open and my hand push me up. My head whiplashed to my left to see Harry’s sleep filled face near mine. Panic started creeping into my body, what had I done?

But before my panic could grow, I felt one of his hands slide across my bare back, dipping just below the sheet that covered my lower body, and felt his fingers skim over my ass. A half startled squeak left my mouth as my hair tumbled over my marked shoulders and my face heated up.

“Don’t let your mind wander, Ro,” Harry voiced, his blue eyes opening and peering into my wide ones. “You are exactly where you should be right now, and I don’t plan on getting up any time soon. Stay put.”

“But Harry, we’re not even together,” I whispered, clutching my left arm against my chest as if covering my breasts would make a different at this point. 

“Humph,” He sounded out before pulling my body against his naked chest, which I now noticed had a few marks of its own. Apparently drunk me was territorial over him, that was new… and somewhat mortifying at the same time. Harry squished up against his body, my ears singed red as I felt every inch of him against my own. “I am still hungry for you, and after last night I highly doubt I could ever get enough.”

Now I could feel my cheeks burning as I looked up at him underneath my eyelashes. There was no anger, indifference, disgust, or a look that said ‘get lost’ in his eyes. Only softness, gentleness, and… was that love?

“I hope I made my intentions clear,” Harry continued, leaning his forehead down to press against mine. “Because I don’t ever want to let you go.” 

“So what does that make this?” I questioned, reaching up with a light hand and tracing my finger across his toned chest. “What does that make… us?”

“Whatever you are comfortable with,” He replied, nuzzling his nose against mine before just barely ghosting his lips across my own. “I’ve messed up a lot with my other relationships, with Jesse, with the other Wells, but this isn’t one I want to chance screwing up. You don’t have to be alone anymore, not with me, and not with Jesse.”

My mind worked over his words, and the gravity they had on me, and my future life. He was offering a place by his side, a spot I could always run to no matter what emotional state I was in, he would be there. 

“Harry?” I asked, my lips brushing against his as his fingers stroked up and down my spine, the pads tracing every ridge and dip of my protruding vertebrae.

“Hmm?” 

“I don’t share,” I stated, a second went by and I felt his lips curve into a smile against my own as he gave my body a slight squeeze with his arms. 

“Duly noted, babe,” Harry responded, his lips moving to brush against my forehead. “And considering the night you had, I suggest catching a few more hours of sleep, or at least resting.” 

“I’m down for that.” I answered, snuggling into his chest with a sigh of content. Rest I did, snuggled closely against Harry’s sinful body I couldn’t believe was now mine. Harry was a furnace, and as someone who typically had a harder time keeping warm at night, I was in heaven. 

I didn’t know how much time had passed since I had initially woken up, but over the course of snuggling with Harry, I had found that he was a very handsy cuddler and enjoyed having tucked right up against his side. It was where I belonged he had said, and I wasn’t in any mood to disagree with that statement. 

So now that I was more awake, I was just enjoying being in his arms and surrounded by his warmth while he danced his fingers across my back and shoulders.

“If I hadn’t forced that kiss on you, what would you have done with that bleach blonde harpy?” I asked, voicing the question that had been circulating in my brain or the last half hour. 

“That may have been unexpected but it wasn’t unwanted,” Harry rumbled, his fingers teasingly stroking their way down the arm I had resting on his chest. “And if I will be honest, I probably would have claimed that you were my girlfriend, wife even…”

“Eh, not really a claim now, is it?” I muttered quietly, thinking about how skanky and ill dressed that woman had been. Did she even have a shred of decency to at least make sure she didn’t look like she was trying to become a stripper?

Harry chuckled at me in agreement before pressing a kiss to my hair. 

“In all honesty, the moment I saw you standing by the bar, looking at me with those beautiful slate blue eyes of yours, that was all I could think about for the rest of the night. The way you looked in the low light, your shoulders practically bare, and just how much I wanted for those red lips to me on mine.” 

“Your eyes are prettier,” I grumbled with a huff. “I like how bright they are, I could stare at them for hours.”

“I wouldn’t object to that, but I highly doubt I’d get any work done if I knew you were staring at me.” I giggled softly at the image that came to mind. Grumpy Harry in his black sweatshirt, hair messy, tool in hand, scowling at me while I unabashedly stared at him, entranced in his electric gaze.

“Hmm, you’re probably right,” I sighed dramatically, accentuating my drawn out sigh and acting like it was the worst thing in the world. “How could I possibly distract the great Harrison Wells from his beloved work?”

Harry laughed before nuzzling into my neck and planting a kiss. 

“As beautifully dramatic as you are being right now, I called in a favor before we left the nightclub and I think you might want it.” I perked up at the mention of Harry calling in a favor, which he never did in the first place, and couldn’t help the curiosity that flooded into my veins. 

“Really?” I questioned as Harry extracted himself from me and reached over to the nightstand behind him. I sat up, holding up the sheets to just barely cover my breasts. My curiosity was sated when Harry turned back around, a pink frosted cupcake in hand. 

“Oh dear lord,” The words left my lips before I even realized it and my mouth started watering. The cupcake I had been pining after for at least half an hour last night sat in his palm, at the ready to be devoured by yours truly. Harry’s lips twitched into a light smirk as he offered the cupcake to me. 

“Don’t think I didn’t catch that devastated look on your face when that plastic, blonde haired twit stole yours.” Harry explained, a twinkle in his eye. My fingers itched to snatch the cupcake from his hands and shove the entire thing into my mouth like the pig I was when it came to confections. Harry gently handed the cupcake off to me, making sure not to touch the perfect frosting. 

“How did you get this?” I questioned, looking at the cupcake in my fingers, and then back up to him. “I mean I was with you all night…”

“Let’s just say I might have scarred Cisco a little when he breached the cupcake into the room.” Harry grinned at me, enjoying the fact that the poor engineer had probably realized exactly what we had been doing last night. I mean come on, we both still had the tracking brackets on and after we had ditched the group, I wouldn’t put it past them pulling up our location. 

Exactly what was the expression on their faces when they realized our dots were on top of each other? I cringed at the thought, but at least I had the cupcake, and it needed eating. 

Lifting the cupcake to my mouth, I pushed the cupcake liner down with my thumb before taking a bite, cake, frosting, and all. Prosecco frosting and lemon cake hit my tongue, and the moan tumbling out of my mouth was down right pornographic.

“Oh god you are perfect,” I sighed out as I leaned down and delicately licked at a bit of frosting that had gotten on my fingers, my tongue darting out from my stained red lips and lapping up the sweet confectionary mixture. 

I went in for another bite, and groaned some more as the delicate flavor of the Prosecco complimented the lemon cake perfectly. Now I wasn’t normally a noisy person when it came to my sweets, but when they were the only sound in the room and Harry had gone completely quiet, I couldn’t help but tear my eyes from the little pink creation to look at him. 

He had gone ridged, his eyes staring straight into mine with that look on his face that never quite allowed me to figure out what he was thinking. Well I think I can see hunger in his eyes, so perhaps I should offer him a bite, it was an absolutely delicious cupcake after all…

“What a taste?” I asked, holding out the cupcake and tilting my head to the side. Harry blinked at me before shaking his head and muttering something I didn’t catch underneath his breath. “Harry?” 

“The cupcake is for you Ro,” Harry finally spoke up, his voice slightly strained. “I know how much you love them, and how much you wanted to have that cupcake all to yourself.”

Not the answer I was expecting considering all the dirty thoughts I now knew flowed through his mind. Well, if he didn’t want a taste because he wanted me to have it all by myself, I was going to have to take matters into my own hands. 

Glancing down at the cupcake, I ran my tongue across my lower lip before looking back up at Harry, and deliberately smashing the cupcake into my chest. Shock filled his eyes, his jaw clicked and the muscles in his neck bulged. 

_Gotcha._

His eyes darkened as I pushed the cupcake along my chest, smearing the luscious pink frosting along my hickey marked skin. Not once during that moment did his eyes leave mine, lust and hunger filling electric blue. 

_“Oops,”_ Pulling the ruined cupcake from my chest, I looked down at the naked cake part, I had smeared most of the remaining frosting on my skin. All that remained was cake, and I wasn’t interested in the cake anymore, so I tossed it over my shoulder, smiling in satisfaction as I heard it plop to the floor. 

Lifting my hand, I flicked my finger across the pink substance coating my skin and stuck my finger in my mouth, giving it a teasing lick. Harry’s adams apple bobbed as he swallowed, his eyes watching my every movement. 

“Clumsy me,” I said softly, pulling my finger from my mouth and giving it a few extra licks for good measure. He was on me faster than Cisco was on Big Belly Burger, and while I giggled, he started licking every molecule of sugar off my chest.


	4. How Not to Fake a Date (Harry Wells)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **How Not to Fake a Date:** Cassie is in need of a date to her sisters wedding. Constantly bullied by her cousins, the terror triplets, Cassie needs to find someone willing to be her shield and date. Lucky for her, there is a certain grumpy scientist who is up for the challenge.  
>  **Warnings:** Language  
>  **To Note:** Harry x OC

Stalking into the cortex, I rushed past my friends and headed to the workshop where my little work table was set up. Throwing my bag onto the desk, I dropped my body into and proceeded to rub my forehead. 

“Uh oh,” Cisco commented from where he sat at his work table, he set down whatever invention he had been fiddling with. Harry, who had been scribbling on his clear white board glanced over his shoulder. “Hey, Cass, you okay?” 

Huffing where I sat, I slouched down further into a bog of annoyance and desperation. 

“No, not really,” I answered glumly, letting out a dramatic sigh that was probably not needed at the moment. “I told you that my sister is getting married next week right?”

“Yeah,” Cisco responded as he grabbed a Twizzler and shoved it into his mouth. “You mentioned that a few months back and had to go dress shopping with her…”

“I just received confirmation that the triplets are going.” I stated before dropping completely back and spinning my chair in a dejected circle. 

“The terror triplets, as in the same triplets that made your middle and high school hell, as in the same triplets that purposefully spilled paint on you at prom? Those triplets?” Cisco blurted out loudly. Completing my circle, I lifted my head and raised an eyebrow. 

“Do you know any other triplets?”

“Right,” Cisco answered before blinking and frowning. “This is bad, really bad.” 

“Your telling me, mom guilt tripped Amanda into inviting them. She still doesn’t know that they hate me and make it a point to make my life miserable.” I groaned out, draping my arm across my eyes. “I want this wedding to be perfect for Amanda, but if those triplets are going, something is going to happen, and then Amanda is going to get mad and upset, and the wedding will be ruined.”

“You’re the maid of honor, would they really go after you in front of everyone?” Harry questioned grumpily from where he was fiddling with the tail end of a formula. His marker making the occasional squeaking noises. 

“Yes,” Cisco and I answered at the same time. Cisco waved a hand at me despite Harry not even looking our way. 

“Those evil triplets have had it out for Cassie for like, ever. The more people there are to watch them embarrass Cassie, the better.” Cisco explained while giving me an apologetic look. “I would totally go with you as your date and try to be your shield, but I promised Dante I’d watch the kids.” 

“I wouldn’t subject you to the triplets, Cisco, they would eat you alive,” I mumbled while running a hand through my hair with a deep sigh. “I don’t know what to do, I told Cassie that I would bring someone with me if I could find a date, but I don’t want to subject anyone to them when I know that the triplets are going to make the night miserable.” 

“Well then lets brain storm ideas,” Cisco said as I reached for my coffee cup and took a long drink. “You need someone who takes no shit, is handsome, yet stoic enough to not fall for those she devils’ charms, and someone who with no doubt, will not let those harpies bully you.” 

“Who exactly, Cisco?” I questioned before taking another sip of coffee. 

“Someone like Harry I guess,” Harry’s marker make a loud squeaking noise as his hand jerked and I, who happened to be taking in a big mouthful of coffee, spewed the black substance all over my desk before proceeding to cough. While I was coughing out any coffee I had inhaled Harry was twisting on his heel and staring at Cisco. 

“Cisco!” I exclaimed with a scratchy voice, coughing once more. 

“What? You are, like, the only person Harry actually likes and is nice to!” Cisco explained while waving his arm around. “If anyone is going to ward off those harpies it would be him!” 

“It’s Harry!” I exploded, waving a vigorous arm at the indicated man who was now staring vacantly at Cisco. “On what earth do you think he would ever do that!? I need a real solution, not a fantasy!”

“No one said it was a fantasy Cass,” Cisco argued, crossing his arms and trying to look taller than he was. 

“It’s Harry, of course it is,” I hissed at him, my eyes flashing in warning. Cisco knew exactly how I felt about a certain dark haired scientist here at the lab, and not only was he trying to help me with my triplet situation, he was trying to pair Harry up with me. I only had myself to blame, I had gotten drunk and then the topics of love interests had come up. My stupid mouth had then ended up rambling on and on to Cisco about how much I liked Harry. “I am sure he has other, more important things to do than pretend to be my significant other!” 

“Are Cassie’s cousins really that bad?” Harry questioned, cutting into the conversation. I let out a groan and buried my head into my hands once more while Cisco turned to him and nodded vigorously. 

“Very, the last time those she devils were in the same room as Cass, it was her birthday and she was wearing this super cute light pink dress. Cass was really excited about it because it looked good on her. Those twits spilled red wine on Cass and then pretended to be sorry. She had to go change out of it.”

“That was three years ago, Cisco, how do you remember that?” I questioned Cisco, my eyebrows lifted in confusion. He gave me a face before looking at Harry. 

“What’d ya say, Harry?” Cisco asked the blinking scientist. I let out another groan in embarrassment. “Feel like helping out our damsel in distress?” 

“Cisco, really—“

“When is it and how long?” Harry questioned bluntly. I froze in my seat and slowly turned to look at Harry who was gazing at me with expectant eyes. 

“Next week, three days in Star city,” I answered while chewing my lip. “There’s the rehearsal dinner, the wedding, and then a family lunch the third day, it’s family tradition.” 

“And you already RSVP’d that you were bringing a plus one?” My shoulders slumped and I rubbed my cheek dejectedly. 

“Yes, I was hoping I could get one of my other friends to go with me but they all said they would not put up with the triplets attitude or possibility of them ruining a dress.” 

“Consider it done,” Harry stated before turning back to his whiteboard and resuming working on his formula. Cisco and I blinked at Harry’s back in total shock before looking at each other. A silent conversation went between us with me berating him and Cisco giving me a smug smirk. Face palming myself, I leaned back in my seat once more and let out a low sigh. I just hoped Harry would keep his temper in check with the triplets antics.

*****

Harry and I stared at the king sized bed in our hotel room. 

“I’m going to go see if they have a double available,” I mumbled before turning for the door to the hotel room. Harry caught my wrist. 

“I overheard the hostess talking when we where checked in, they’re booked full between the wedding and the winter graduation.” Harry explained gruffly as I closed my eyes and silently cursed my mother. 

“My mother is the one who made the reservations, I think she assumed I was going to bring my significant other,” 

“Which you don’t have,” Harry pointed out. “I can sleep on the couch.”

“No, you are not,” I interrupted, craning my head back to look up at his six foot tall body. “You are tall and I am tiny, you take the bed. I’ll take the couch because I’ll fit.”

With that announcement I turned on my feet and tried shaking my wrist form his grasp. Harry only tightened his grip and refused to let me head for the couch. 

“Cassie, you’re the maid of honor and the bride’s sister, I am pretty sure you need to be well rested. I’ll take the couch and you can have the bed.”

“You’re my guest. Harry, I can’t do that to you!” I argued back, trying to wiggle myself out of his grasp and to the couch. It was like trying to push over a concrete wall, Harry was big, strong, and tall, I was short, weak, and tiny. “Harry!” 

I ended up scowling at Harry while he crossed his arms and looked down at me in amusement. 

“You look like an angry yorkie,” Harry huffed, the corner of his mouth curling. My hackles bristled at him and I rested the urge to bare my teeth at him. “You are all bark but no bite, Cass. Give up while you can.” 

Glowering at Harry, I grumbled underneath my breath before moving over to the desk, already planning on taking the couch while Harry was tinkering with whatever invention he had brought along to entertain himself. Thumping my bag down, I felt my phone in my pocket buzz and fishing it out of my pocket, I glanced at the screen. 

“Amanda says that dinner is at seven in the Magnolia room,” I announced, shooting a quick text to her with a thumbs up. “And you might want to prepare yourself for the Hill family.” 

“You say that like I haven’t dealt with nosy people before,” Harry commented as he dropped his body onto the couch and settled his hands behind his head. 

“Did you forget about the triplets already?” I questioned him, giving him an eye over my shoulder. “Because most of my family is nosy and will likely try to pick your life apart.” 

“Have you forgotten who I am?” 

“I’m just warning you,” I sighed out before walking over to the bed and dropping back to lay on it. “There’s a reason why I don’t talk about my family. Amanda’s the only one that understands me, and doesn’t harass me about my life.”

“What’s wrong with being a fragrance chemist?” Harry questioned loftily. 

“Uh, the fact that my job is to develop perfume and soap scents, apparently?” I answered while kicking out my feet. “They don’t see that as a real and important job. Amanda is an accountant, that’s a real job.”

“You have a higher education in chemistry, that isn’t easy to do, Cassie. Considering the work you do to help Caitlin, you should think more highly of yourself.” I snorted softly and rubbed my cheek. 

“Yeah, well, my parents think otherwise…” 

We both ended up lounging around the rest of the afternoon, choosing to wait out the time until the rehearsal dinner. When it was a quarter till, I started getting dressed. 

I wasn’t planning on getting too formal with my look, despite knowing my mother was going to harp on me. For the dinner I was wearing a dark blue dress with a v neckline and spaghetti straps, simple silver heels that only added a meager two inches to my height, and had my hair curled into a light curl. Formal, but not too formal. 

Leaning over the bathroom counter, I put in simple diamond studs and added a silver bracelet that Amanda and I had copies of. I didn’t want to wear anything too nice because that increased the chances of the triplets of trying to ruin my clothes or jewelry. 

“Cassie, you almost done?” Harry questioned, rapping his knuckles on the closed bathroom door. “Amanda has been texting you nonstop for the last five minutes and she is starting to get more insistent.”

Stepping away from the counter, I walked over to the door and opened it. Harry was standing already dressed in his black suit and blue tie, which conveniently matched my dress. We blinked at each other for a second before Harry handed over my phone. I took it and glanced at the screen. 

“The terror triplets already made two of the bridesmaids cry and one of the groomsman. That’s got to be a record.” I sighed while dropping my phone to my side. Harry raised an eyebrow and let me walk passed him to grab the little bottle of perfume Amanda had requested I make her for her wedding day. “Alright, I’ve got Amanda’s perfume so I’m ready, are you?” 

Harry raised one elegant eyebrow at me before stuffing his hands into his slack pockets and rocking back on his heels. Stupid question, the man looked unbelievably hot in his dressed down suit and had been waiting on me to finish. With no further words, we walked out of the hotel room and headed for the rehearsal dinner. 

The entire way there, my hands fidgeted around the small bottle I held, my nervousness showing. I was about to dig my fingers into the small glass bottle for the hundredth time when Harry reached over and plucked my right hand from where it was going to wrap itself around glass. He weaved his fingers through mine and made a point to add pressure, indicating that I had been nervously ticking away. 

“Sorry,” I muttered as the elevator doors slid open with a chime. Harry gracefully sauntered out of the elevator, tugging me alone as he went. 

“Your hands fidget when you get nervous, if you want your family to stop harassing you about your relationship status you need to be relaxed next to me.” Harry answered while smiling down at me. I had to work to not look completely taken aback by his gentle and caring demeanor. This was just an act. 

“Since when do you know about my nervous tick?” I questioned him softly as we walked through the main entrance, heading for the side hallway. “I thought you spent your time staring at your formulas?” 

The tips of Harry’s ears went red. 

“I don’t just stare at a whiteboard all day, Cass,” Harry answered as the sounds of my raucous family hit my ears. “I’ve taken the time to study everyone at the lab, you have a particular tick with your hands when you are nervous, you bite your lip when in deep thought, and when you are thinking about work you get this distant look in your eyes.” 

“Point made, I’d ask what you’ve noticed about the others but they are all painfully obvious.” I answered as we came to a stop a few feet from the doors to where the rehearsal dinner was. “Harry, I really am thankful for you volunteering, but you don’t have to get in between me and the triplets, wine is probably going to be thrown at some point and I’d hate to see your suit get ruined.” 

Harry pulled me around so we were facing and stared down into my eyes with a look that said shut up and listen to me. 

“Cass, I’m here, and I’m not going to let anyone bully you.” He told me in all seriousness. “And I wasn’t kidding about you being a yorkie, you have the survival instinct of a Chihuahua. All bark, little bite.” 

“Harrison!” I hissed at him, my cheeks heating up as I swatted his shoulder with my hand. He just grinned at me, an actual grin that told me he was enjoying teasing me. 

“Cassandra!? Is that you?” My back stiffened and I sucked in a breath at the voice. Turning on my heel, I gave my aunt Victoria a strained smile.

“Hi aunt Victoria!” I greeted, at least trying to sound enthused. The tall, modelesk woman strode over with her blonde hair regally pulled up into a French twist to show off the sparkling necklace around her neck. She was a picture perfect woman and never ceased to draw eyes.

“I was wondering when you would show your face,” She continued before washing her eyes over Harry, practically undressing him with her eyes. I had to resist the urge to wrinkle my nose. While Harry was indeed older than I, Victoria still had at least ten years on Harry. “And who is this? A friend from work?”

Harry twisted where he stood, a charming smile stretching across his lips as he slipped an arm around my back and pulled me against his side while offering his other for a handshake. 

“I’m Harry, Cass’s boyfriend.” Harry answered with full charm and politeness as the two shook hands. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet someone from her side of the family. I’m afraid we both don’t get out of the lab too often.” 

“You work in a lab as well?” Victoria prodded, her eyes lightening up at the mention of lab, and the insinuation of money. 

“I’m a Physicist,” Harry explained shortly before looking down at me with a heart warming smile I could have melted right there on the spot if it was real. “Cass and I met through a lab coalition.” 

“Do you know where mom and Amanda are?” I questioned Victoria, holding up the glass bottle to show her. “I have Amanda’s perfume right here and want to make sure she likes it.”

“They are talking with mother over by the far wall,” Victoria answered before twisting her lips into a canary smile. “Don’t be a stranger, I’m sure my daughters would love to meet you. Stephanie just finished her graduates degree in engineering.”

“I’ll have to make sure to introduce myself,” Harry responded pleasantly before turning to look down at me again. “Shall we, babe? I’m sure your mother is dying to know who the man that captured her daughter’s heart is.” 

My heart squeezed painfully in my chest. That was the truth, my mother would be meeting the man that had stolen her daughters heart. The man just didn’t know it. 

Departing from Victoria’s hungry presence, Harry and I proceeded into the Magnolia room. We were occasionally stopped by my family members, and a few from Liam’s, my soon to be brother-in-law, side. Not once did Harry break character from his charming and charismatic personality, and I had to remind myself that he couldn’t have possibly built his company on Earth-Two by acting like his stoic grumpy self. 

Eventually we made it to mom and Amanda, and I immediately dove in for Amanda’s protective embrace. Amanda laughed and hugged me back, giving my small body a squeeze before pulling back to look at me. 

“Did you shrink this last year?” She questioned with a raised eyebrow. I scowled at her, crossing my arms as she and Harry started laughing. 

“I most certainly did not,” I huffed out, grumbling underneath my breath as Amanda set her eyes on the man standing behind me.

“And who is this? Boyfriend hopefully?” Amanda teased before offering her hand. “I’m Amanda, if you haven’t already figured that out. I’m Cassie’s older sister and eternal tormenter.”

“I’m guessing everyone in the family likes to joke about Cass’s height,” Harry answered lightly before shaking her hand. “Harry, Cassie’s boyfriend and other tormenter.”

“God there’s two of them,” I moaned to myself as I watched an unholy union form between my sister and Harry. My mother clicked her tongue before picking at my hair and dress. 

“Oh come now, Cassandra, stop whining,” She chided me, already nit picking me before we had even greeted each other. Amanda bit her lip and sighed out as Harry raised an eyebrow. Mom turned to Harry. “I am Eleanor, Cassandra and Amanda’s mother, it’s nice to finally meet you. I was beginning to wonder if Cassandra planned to spend the rest of her life alone.”

Harry made no comment to my mothers diminutive words and just smiled as he shook her hand. Amanda and I exchanged a few looks, and while our mother started grilling Harry on his life, I held up the perfume bottle. 

“Batch forty eight,” I told her, offering the bottle. “Took me forever to figure out the combinations, but I think it turned out quite nice. Take a whiff.” 

Amanda carefully undid the top and pulled out the wand, running it underneath her nose. Her eyes brightened up and a blinding smile appeared on her face. 

“You matched it up with my flower scheme perfectly!” She exclaimed before carefully stoppering the bottle and dragging me back in for a hug. I was enormously happy that Amanda loved the perfume, that was a big relief for me. 

Dinner came and sitting at the main table with mom, Amanda, and Liam, Harry and I were subjected to all sorts of questions about our relationship. Luckily we didn’t need to lie about most of it like how we met. Unfortunately, after dinner and the drinks came out it was time to introduce Harry to the triplets so I didn’t appear rude.

I had started shaking as soon as my eyes set themselves on their posse, and Harry being the genius he was, had immediately taken my hand and provided pressure. Stephanie, Quinn, and Irene were exactly like their mother, dressed beautiful, painted gorgeous, and tall. Everything I was not, and yet Harry hardly spared them a second glance, choosing instead to immerse himself in a conversation with great uncle Albert, who had somehow tottered his way over without his walker. 

Despite having Harry gripping my hand, I was left under the scrutiny of the triplets, who narrowed their eyes at me. 

“I’m surprised you even came,” Irene drawled out quietly like the viperess she was. My eyes narrowed at her as my hackles prickled. She shifted her eyes to Harry who was engrossed in a topic that had to do with physics. “A little old for you, isn’t he? I would think that he would prefer someone with actual… experience?” 

“Careful Irene,” I coolly replied, resisting the urge to spit my words at her. “Wouldn’t want to be caught lusting after your cousin’s boyfriend, would you?” 

The three of them let out simultaneous snorts and rolled their eyes. 

“Cassandra, Cassandra, Cassandra,” Quinn called while looking down at her talons. “You don’t really think he is interested in you? A short, pudgy little woman with straw colored hair and an intense need to get a life?” 

“I would bet my entire wardrobe on that she hired him for the wedding,” Stephanie added, making my face flush with anger. My nails dug into my palm as I struggled to keep my anger in check. They were goading me into lashing out and making a scene. I took in a deep breath and rose to my feet, deciding that after getting through dinner with their spiteful looks, I was allowed to excuse myself for the night claiming a headache. 

“Apologies Harry,” I announced, my eyes trying not to appear hateful while I stared at the triplets. “I think I might be getting a headache and would like to head up for the night, will you be alright on your own? I’d hate to tear you from your conversation with uncle Albert.”

Harry frowned up at my tired face and seemed to pick up on my uncomfortableness. Uncle Albert waved a hand in my direction. 

“Bah! Don’t feel bad, Cassie girl, I’m sure your boyfriend is tired of hearing me rattle on about my days as a nuclear physicist.” Uncle Albert exclaimed as Harry rose up from his seat with a pinched look on his face. 

“How bad is it? Do you need me to go get you some water and Advil?” Harry asked as he stepped up to me and ran a hand over the side of my head, staring deep into my eyes. 

“I’m fine, I just need some rest.” I explained with a strained smile. “It’s been an exciting day mixed with travel. I want to be rested for tomorrow.” 

“I go where you go, Cass,” Harry reminded me as he took my elbow and stared steering me towards Amanda, Liam, mom, Victoria, and host of other guests. Amanda caught us making our way over to them and I saw her eyes narrow just a smidgen. 

“Hey Amanda, I think I’m going to head up for the night,” I told her. “Got a bit of a headache and want to be fresh for tomorrow morning.” 

“Of course,” Amanda responded, instantly agreeing. “I hope everyone wasn’t too overbearing…” 

I went to shake my head but was immediately startled when our mother busted into the conversation. 

“What?” She exclaimed. “But you just got here and I’ve barely had any time to spend with you or Harry. How am I supposed to judge your relationship if you don’t spend anytime with me?”

“Mom! I don’t need you to judge anything!” I argued back, my face heating up as my hands started gripping the blue material of my dress. 

“I am being a concerned mother who wants to make sure that this man loves my daughter properly.” She persisted before moving her eyes to Harry who had a blank expression on his face. Damn it, it was that look that he made when he was thinking, but what was he thinking was the question. “No offense, Harry, I am sure you are a gentleman… but I must protect my daughter.” 

There were several eye rolls from the Roger side of the family, and even Liam himself rolled his eyes. But with the eye rolls also came the nosiness from the triplets, and I could see them edging over, smirks clear on their faces. 

“Or you could just kiss to appease mom,” Amanda mumbled beneath her breath while Liam nodded in agreement. “That worked with us…”

A muffled grunt of distain bubbled in the back of my throat from both options. Sit and muster through talking with mom, make headache worse. Kiss Harry and risk being awkward and showing that we clearly had not done so before, I could leave but everyone would know something was up. While I was rubbing my face in clear irritation, Harry seemed to make up his mind. 

“Well, if that’s what it takes to show you that I love your daughter,” Harry shrugged before turning to me and sweeping an arm behind my back. I didn’t even have time to express my surprise or shock, I simply fell back into his grasp as he took my cheek in his other hand and lowered his lips to mine. 

My eyelashes were quick to fall shut as the fantasy of kiss Harry Wells became reality, and it was more than I could have imagined. Harry’s lips against mine felt warm and homey, like the kind of lips that would steal kisses during a lazy afternoon or at the start of a day when you hadn’t yet rolled out of bed. 

And then he teased my mouth open and this kiss was setting my body on fire. Locked in an open mouthed kiss in front of my family which I had momentarily forgotten, I strained upwards to press my lips more firmly against Harry’s as my hands lightly dug into his dress shirt. 

Harry’s thumb skimmed across the arch of my cheek bone, feeling unusually soft and delicate for hands that built powerful machines. What was supposed to be fake and convincing, felt real and alive, and I had a hard time connecting my mind to my body. There was a new burning sensation of anticipation in my chest, and when Harry pulled away to gaze into my eyes I just stared dumbly back, my cheeks tinged pink. 

“Well, I’m convinced,” Amanda huffed as everyone else remained deathly silent. A soft groan slipped from my lips as I leaned forwards and thumped my head against Harry’s chest. We might have convinced the family, but I was now so deeply in love with one Harrison Wells I knew it was going to crush me when he left. As we made our exit, only one thought came to mind. 

His kiss was lingering long after his lips had left mine. 

*****

After changing into shorts and a tank top to sleep in, I had wandered over to the window in the hotel room to stare outside. My mind was riddled with confusion. I’d have thought Harry would have chosen to sit down and charm his way into my mothers heart, like he had with everyone else. But no, instead the doctor had chosen to kiss me, and kiss me he did. 

I had never, ever, been kissed like that. Like I was the only thing that mattered in that instance, so gently and passionate even my own mind had difficulty connecting that it was just a kiss to get my mother off our backs. It meant nothing, we weren’t really dating and no matter how much my brain and heart tried to convince me that the kiss had more than just mechanics to it, that was all it was ever going to be. A kiss. 

Pressing my fingers to my still tingling lips, I pushed a slow sigh through my nostrils before turning to look at the couch, and then the bathroom door. Harry was currently taking a shower giving me the perfect chance to take the couch. So that’s what I did, I snapped up a pillow and blanket and slumped down on it. Tucking the pillow beneath my head, I curled up in a little ball, stretched the blanket over my body and snuggled in. 

Lying on my side, I reached up and brushed my fingers over my lips once more. Kissing Harry felt magical, and was everything I had dreamed of and more, and yet a part of me wishes it had never happened. I knew what it was like and I was only going to want more. 

I closed my eyes and tried to get Harry out of my mind. 

My dreams were filled with brightness. I was on some island with pristine white beaches, giggling as I ran across the sand with someone in chase. It wasn’t a scary chase, more like a game of keep away. 

Every time I turned around to flash a smile over my shoulder, I could see the man dressed in white shorts and a white shirt, but the sun was so bright I couldn’t see his face. That didn’t deter the wide smile stretched across my face as I ran, nor did it hinder the giggles and laughter pouring from my mouth. 

“For someone with long legs you sure are slow!” I taunted as I splashed across a little inlet of water. Warm ocean water splattered on the dress I had on over a bathing suit and sand stuck to my feet and ankles. He didn’t respond but I could tell his speed increased. I took a few more bounding steps across the sand before I was hoisted into the air. “Hey!”

Laughing while squirming in his grasp, I was swept up into a comfortable pair of arms. The sun was once again blinding me from seeing whoever this man was, but something about him made me totally relaxed. I wrapped my arms around his neck and snuggled my face into the crook of his shoulder. 

The brightness started fading, replaced with darkness, and the sun kissing my skin disappeared to a chill. Letting out a small groan, I shifted slightly and felt the same arms that had plucked me off the sand, holding me. 

“Go back to sleep,” A gruff voice rumbled in my ear as I was set down on a soft surface. Blankets were pulled over my chilled body and with a snuffle I was rolling over and burying my face into a fluffy pillow. 

*****

“I cannot believe you!” I growled, chucking a pillow at Harry’s head. It hit him in his chest and flopped to the floor as he stared at me with his unimpressed expression on his face.”God the nerve!” 

I scrambled across the bed and stretched a leg out to get up from the bed, my scowl prominent on my face. Standing up, I stomped over to Harry and crossed my arms, giving him the deepest scowl I could. 

Last night I had snuggled up on the couch and had fallen asleep. This morning I had woken up on the bed snuggling a pillow to my chest while Harry scrunched himself like an accordion on the couch. 

“You might want to grab a chair if you plan on growling at me in the face, Yorkie,” Harry respond in amusement as my face turned red from annoyance and anger. Letting out one last growl, I sent him a scathing look before stomping for the bathroom. 

Freshening up in the bathroom, I threw my hair up into a loose bun and washed my face. Exiting the bathroom in a somewhat better mood, I looked to see Harry once again tinkering on something. 

“Guests are due to arrive at 1:45,” I announced as I grabbed my phone and room key. “I’ll be out helping Amanda, if you need anything text me.” 

“This isn’t the first wedding I’ve gone to, Cassie, I’ll be fine.” Harry spoke, briefly glancing up to meet my eyes. 

“Tell me that when my family is driving you up the walls,” I muttered underneath my breath. 

“Considering last night, I think I can handle them,” He responded with a twitch of his lips. My face flamed bright red and with a noise of irritation, I turned on my heel and headed off to meet Amanda and the rest of the bridal party. Letting myself into the bridal suite, I continually muttered about idiot men as I approached Amanda and mom. 

“Morning sleepyhead,” Amanda called as I dropped my body into the available chair. “Trouble in paradise?”

“I’m dating an idiot, that’s what,” I mumbled before leaning my head back and running a hand through my hair. “How’d you sleep? Get enough for your big day?” 

“Like a baby,” Amanda replied smugly before looking at her freshly manicured fingernails. 

“Time to start the pampering process, Cassandra,” Mom chimed in, taking a sip from her coffee cup. “Stop slouching.”

“Aren’t I allowed to slouch if I’m being pampered?” I questioned as she waved over one of the hired hair stylists. 

“You are a lady dear, act like one and maybe you’ll be able to get that boyfriend of yours to propose.” I made a choking sound as Amanda rolled her eyes. 

“Alright mom, I think everyone has harassed Cassie enough. Let it be, this is my wedding, why don’t you go and make sure that aunt Victoria and the triplets have everything they need?” She wasn’t happy, but did as Amanda asked and strode from the room. 

“I swear that woman gets more controlling with every year that passes,” I sighed out as my hairstylist started brushing my hair out. Amanda made a sound in agreement before perking up. 

“So we need to talk, Cass,” I raised an eyebrow at her words and tone. We need to talk? About what exactly?

“About what? The wedding?” I questioned while tapping my fingers on my thigh. “Cause if you want to change something it might be a little late for that…”

“No, no, everything in the wedding is perfect,” Amanda answered. “We need to talk about Harry.”

“Didn’t you just state that you weren’t going to push that topic?” 

“Last I knew, you were a single woman, and that was a few days ago.” Amanda chimed as I closed my eyes and counted to ten in my head. Nothing ever went over Amanda’s head. Nothing. “I was almost sure that he was just a friend, a close one… until he kissed you last night. Who is he really, and don’t bullshit me, you know that doesn’t fly.”

“He’s my coworker,” I explained weakly. “And a friend, I was trying to figure out who I could bring that would help prevent the triplets from harassing me. Harry volunteered, that’s it.”

Amanda stared at me like she was expecting more from that story than what I had given her. 

“What?” 

“Cass, a friend doesn’t kiss a girl like that unless there’s something deeper going on…” Amanda commented with a raised eyebrow. “Hell I am pretty sure everyone was convinced that Harry is very much in love with you. May I also inform you that you kissed him back equally?” 

“No, you may not,” I rumbled before scratching my nose. “But since I know you are just going to dig your heels in, I will tell you. I’ve had the biggest crush on the man since I met him, and I am resigned to the fact that it will never get anywhere.” 

“Sis, you haven’t seen the way he looks at you when you aren’t looking.” Amanda pointed out. “It’s like you are the only person in the room. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is, because Liam does that all the time with me… but I’m not an oblivious idiot.” 

“Did you just insult me twice?” I exclaimed, shooting her a dirty look. Amanda let out a peal of laughter before the two of us switched to a lighter topic, waiting for the rest of the bridesmaids to arrive. When the full bridal party arrived, the mimosas were brought out and it really got down to business. 

Amanda was going to have her hair pulled all the way up with a few flowers and silver accents added while us bridesmaids were getting a half updo. We would have our hair pulled back with a braid, accented by a few baby’s breath strands, and the rest of our locks curled into soft waves. I was happy Amanda had gone for a lighter look with the makeup, I didn’t particularly like the way bold makeup looked on my face.

Us five bridesmaids got into our dresses, needing to help each other to tie up the back since it had corset strings to hold it up. Other than the corset back, it was a pretty strait forward dress, sweetheart neckline with a thin off the shoulder strap. The plum colored material would trail after us was we walked in the ridiculous four inch heels that matched the dress color. I had spent so many hours practicing walking in them because the heels made me feel like one misstep and I would be going down. 

“How much do you think the triplets are going to bitch about not being in the bridal party?” Erin asked as she tightened Heidi’s dress one last time. 

“Oh they are positively seething,” I answered with a small huff as I slipped my heels on my feet and stood up. “But Amanda knew that if they were her bridesmaids they would make everyone miserable.” 

“Amen to that,” Jessica echoed as the florist ducked in with the basket of bouquets. Faces brightened up and the girls were rushing to see the arrangements in excitement. Smiling at them, I saw Amanda peeking out of the bedroom, I guess she had her wedding dress on. 

What proceeded was a lot of squealing and fervent woman, who made mom roll her eyes at their dramatics and then tersely remind them that we had a wedding to get to. Collecting our bouquets, we headed for the room the ceremony was going to be held in and joined the groomsmen milling around. I carefully stepped up to Jack, Liam’s best man, and looped my arm through his. 

“You ready to get this over with?” Jack asked, looking down at me with a twitch of his lips. I rolled my eyes at him and nodded. 

“I’m ready to not be harassed by my mother.” I answered truthfully. “How’s Liam holding up?” 

“Liam’s fine, would have been happily married in a little white church in Vegas actually,” Jack answered with a smile. “But the missus put her foot down on that one.” 

“Can you blame her? Our mother is a control freak, she wanted something to be able to control, her wedding is it.” I said as the music started playing. Jack made a sound in agreement. “Oh, and one more thing, don’t let me trip.”

*****

Sitting at the table after dinner, Harry’s arm loosely wrapped around my side as he talked to uncle Albert yet again. I was currently trying not to think about the hand that was settled on my hip. My fingers lightly danced around the stem of my wine glass while my eyes watched the group of dancers partying hard on the outdoor patio. 

“Cassie girl?” I blinked myself away from the dancer and looked at uncle Albert and Harry. 

“Sorry, what is it?” Uncle Albert let out snort.

“You have to be bored out your mind, don’t let me take up you and Harry’s time.” I smiled at uncle Albert and shook my head at him. 

“It’s nice to see Harry talking with someone who understands physics,” I answered before pushing my chair back and getting up. “I’m going to head outside, make a few rounds before mom hunts me down for being antisocial.”

Feeling a brave streak, I leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to Harry’s cheek.

“Don’t let uncle Albert talk your ear off,” I added with a small smile before turning and walking for the nearest doors. Stepping out into the night, my eyes quickly scanned the crowed, making sure that Amanda was still having a ball. She was. 

My feet started carrying me towards the gardens and the fountains, inspecting the flowers on the meticulously maintained gardenscape. I ran my fingers over the tops of several bushes, enjoying the waxy petals that touched my fingers. Why was love so complicated and painful for me when it seemed so easy and carefree for Amanda and Liam?

I found myself near the larger fountain and stopped to stare at the bubbling water. The triplets hadn’t really tried to pull something on me, so perhaps Harry coming along wasn’t needed. I rubbed my hands on my cheeks and sighed out. 

“You need to get a life, Cassie,” I murmured to myself, trying to convince my brain that Harry was untouchable, and the sooner it realized it, the better I was off. Turning my head to the night sky, I was about to turn and head back to the party to hunt down some obscure family member to talk to when I heard the sounds of three sets of heels. “Shit,”

Turning in place, I saw the triplets sauntering towards me with that gleam in their eyes. They had been waiting patiently for me to be alone. Without Harry in sight to deter them from trying something, I was a sitting duck. 

“Cassandra, you’ve been avoiding us,” Quinn drawled out with a small tut.

“You know why, though I don’t understand why you’ve always felt the need to go after me,” I answered as I crossed my arms and eyed them. 

“Simple, we don’t like you,” Irene explained with a shrug of her shoulders. “always so high and mighty, thinking you’re above us.”

What? They had this completely backwards… but it wasn’t really any use arguing with them, they were stubborn as a bull and very set in their self entitled ways. 

“For the last time, no I don’t,” I sighed out, rubbing my knuckles on my chin. “Now can you please leave me alone? I’d really rather not do this at my sisters wedding.” 

“As you wish,” Stephanie answered loftily before the three of them started walking again. I stared at them in confusion as they glided near me, and then past me, without trying to do something. Blinking and internally wondering what the heck was going on, I didn’t see it until it was far too late. 

The trio paused before and turned back as if they had more to say, and Irene being the main instigator, swung her arm out as if to raise her hand. She caught me in the chest and gave me just enough of a shove to send me tottering back.

Letting out a barely audibly gasp, I teetered on my high heels, stumbling back against the edge of the fountain, and when my center of gravity went off balance and I started falling back I knew I was done for. Their triumphant smirks would be the last thing I saw as I completely went tumbling backwards. 

Arms flailing uselessly, another gasp tore from my throat as something hooked around my waist and I was yanked to the side. My world twisted until I found myself bent backwards in a dip with Harry’s blue eyes staring down at me. 

“Falling for me yet again, Cassie?” He questioned with a light quirk in his mouth. A blush bloomed on my cheeks as my heart slowly calmed down from what nearly felt like a near death experience. Harry pulled me back up and tucked me against his chest, holding my body firmly there. Leaning my head back, I looked up into Harry’s face, only to find him staring down something behind me with that deadly gaze of his. The triplets.

“Has anyone ever informed you of how childish and infantile you act?” Harry questioned as my eyes widened. No one had dared to talk to the triplets like that, or even point out their behavior. “You are adults, I suggest you start acting like it.”

I heard the disgruntled gasps at being berated by Harry before more undignified huffs and the sounds of several feet scurrying away. Letting out a short breath, I lightly thumped my head against Harry’s chest in relief. Crisis averted thanks to Harry. 

“Considering you brought me along to be your shield, I’m surprised that you wandered so far.” Harry mused quietly after the triplets had retreated and it was just the two of us. 

“It was stupid of me to even bring you, Harry,” I sighed out. “I can’t have you taking on my problems when I should be the one to deal with them.” 

“It’s three against one, Cass,” Harry answered gently, running his hand up my side to take my chin and tilt it so I had to look him in the eye. “I hardly call that fair.”

“Yeah well you didn’t exactly sign up to get coerced into kissing me,” I retorted, my cheeks still flushed with color. 

“I had two options, Cass, and I didn’t need to be coerced, what I needed was an excuse,” Harry explained as he brushed his thumb over my lower lip. 

“An excuse?” I breathed out in slight confusion. “To what? Kiss me? I thought you tolerated my presence because I don’t bother you…” 

Harry sighed out and took his hand from my face to run is fingers through his hair like he always did when he was stressed about something. 

“I— I’m not very good at relationships, Cassie, you know that, but I—,” He cut off again and let out a distressed sigh. “And Ramon said that you…”

Damn it Cisco, when I get back and I get my hands on you… I cleared those thoughts and focused on the stressed Harry. 

“Harry, it’s okay, you don’t have to tell me anything if it’s hard, I won’t press you.” I whispered up at him, reaching up with one hand to neaten the hair that he had ruffled. “We’re friends, aren’t we? I can be happy with that.”

Harry let out a frustrated growl, seemingly even more stressed now. How exactly was I making things worse? I almost always had a calming affect on the man so why wasn’t it working this time?

“I—“ Harry started again before pausing and licking his lips. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again, determination and seriousness now in those bright blue eyes. “When it comes to relationships, I’m not good with my words, Cassie… and what I am trying to say is that I don’t want to be your friend.” 

That hit me right in the heart in a painful pinch, it was breath stealing, completely took the wind out of my sails, and left me stranded in the middle of an ocean. Harry must have seen some sort of pain in my eyes because he was cursing underneath his breath and muttering things I couldn’t quite understand. 

“…messing things up again.” Harry growled out before he leaned down and promptly locked his mouth to mine like he could breathe what he wanted to say into me. 

Whiplash. 

That’s all I felt until my mind caught up to the moment. He didn’t want to be my friend, he wanted to be more.

My fingers left his blazer to tangle in his neat hair, curling around the dark strands at his scalp, then using my grip to pull his head down to air my need for more. For once, I was glad to be wearing tall heels, because it meant that I was that much closer to his mouth. 

Harry’s arm around my waist pulled my body further into his while his free hand slipped into the braid at the back of my head. Harry pulled my head back opening our mouths to a deeper kiss. With fevered kisses, we both took each others mouths with unrelenting passion

Tugging at his hair, my entire body trembled from excitement in his arms. Heart racing from happiness and desire, body pressed up against another, breath ragged and slightly shallow, for a moment I forgot where I was. Or how to breathe.

Gasping for breath, I felt Harry softly dust light kisses onto the corners of my mouth. I breathed out softly and wrapped one of my arms around his neck, relishing the soft kisses slowly bringing new meaning to my life. Harry, who always held such a brusk and hard exterior, kissed with clear intention and passion, and I felt like a flame had been lit in my body. 

“So what exactly did Cisco tell you?” I questioned as Harry tucked my head underneath his chin, content to hold me close. Resting my cheek against his chest, I let out another sigh. “And how badly do I need to hurt him?”

“Just that my love wasn’t unrequited, and that I should pull my head out of my ass before someone came along and snapped you up.” He said, his voice falling to a whisper at the final words. “Jess has been telling me that it’s time for me to find happiness again, and I have it when I am with you.” 

“You do realize that the triplets are one hundred percent correct when they said I am inexperienced… right? I’m not like anyone else you’ve been with.”

“I haven’t been with anyone since my wife died. I’m… rusty at this, if my apparent bumbling in front of you isn’t enough evidence.” Harry responded as he brushed his fingertips up and down my exposed back. “I won’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with, I’m just asking you to give me a chance since I’ve finally pulled my head out of my ass.” 

“I doubt you could ever make me feel uncomfortable, Harry,” I told him before pulling away and stretching up onto my toes to press a light kiss on his lips. “But can I ask you for a dance? I’d like this wedding to have at least something genuine.” 

“If it means I get to parade you in front of those triplets, absolutely,” Harry said, smiling down at me as he stepped to the side to lead me back towards the party. Walking back towards the dance party, I felt lighter on my feet than I had in years, and slightly smug. 

Harry was a very good looking man, scratch that, he was smoking hot, highly intelligent, and had a secret plethora of muscles underneath his black sweaters, and he was mine. Not to get possessive from the get go… but I don’t like to share. 

Walking back into the party area, Harry directed us towards the dancing floor, taking up a spot that was empty. Harry pulled me around, sliding a hand onto my waist and taking my right hand. Placing my left hand on his shoulder, I looked up into Harry’s face. 

“You really haven’t been in a relationship since… Harry, what have you been doing with your life?”

“Being grumpy and sardonic?” Harry asked with a contemplative grin. “Pining after the lovely chemist while making an ass out of myself.” 

“Your grumpiness has its charms,” I responded with a small giggle. “Keeps Cisco quiet and I get can get more work done at the lab… Just don’t tell him that I said that.” 

I received another one of those heart stopping smiles. 

“Your words are safe with me,” He said as we slowly started swaying to the beat of the song. “But I do have a question… what have you been doing with your life? You are beautiful, smart, caring, compassionate, why are you still alone?” 

“I’m not alone now…” I teased back, my lips twitching. Harry hummed in response. 

“Stop deflecting, Cass,” Harry said, pointing out what I had just done. I dropped my eyes to his tie. “I’m not asking you to lay everything out, I just want to know what’s kept you in your shell? If I had to guess, I would say it’s your mother and aunt…”

“Amanda and I grew up in a volatile house.” I said slowly, taking a deep breath and looking up into his face. “Dad and mom didn’t get along, mom was kind of abusive, constantly berated on dad, always said he was never doing enough… at one point he had had enough and just left. I am my own person, but I still feel like mom still has one hand around my ankle and is keeping me from flying off. I’m not confident, I second guess myself, and romantic relationships just seem… hard.” 

Harry spun me around in a circle before dropping me back into a romantic dip. 

“I agree with you that romantic relationships are hard, and fake ones too considering I am pretty sure we both failed at this one.” Harry mused as he smiled deviously down at me.

“Want me to write a book on how not to fake a date? Maybe we can do better next time…” I offered playfully, a smile of my own on my lips.

“Or we could just forget the fake part all together and just go as a couple.”

“To do that we would have to be together, and everyone would have to know that… Amanda already figured out that you aren’t actually my boyfriend.” I pointed out frankly as Harry effortlessly pulled me back up and directly into his chest. 

“Do you want me to be?” That wiped the teasing and playful look off my face as my cheeks heated up and a light blush bloomed. Sputtering in Harry’s arms, I continued to be flustered much to Harry’s amusement. “Well? I’ve clearly stated that I return your affection, so yes or no?”


	5. Slushies and Sweaters (Harry Wells)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Slushies and Sweaters:** It is movie night at the lab. Harry and his girlfriend Elizabeth have made an appearance at the request of their friends, and as usual, everything is bigger at Star labs. Bigger screen, bigger couches, bigger food spread. When Beth steps out to use the restroom, she walks back into a food fight. Taking a slushee to the chest, Beth will find that this movie night is going to be a little more exciting than usual.  
>  **Warnings:** Possible language, nudity  
>  **To Note:** I was inspired by the food fight in Nanny McPhee, Harry Wells x OC

“This looks a little excessive,” I whispered to Harry as my eyes flickered over the copious amounts of food piled on the tables in the t.v. room. 

“You know how Allen and Ramon are,” Harry answered quietly before placing a hand on my back and leading me over to the sofa. I sat down a grabbed a blanket from the stack on the coffee table in front of the sofa. “You want your usual?” 

Blinking up at Harry, I gave him a smile and a nod. 

“Yes, please, but no too much, I don’t want to make myself sick from all that junk food.” I answered as Harry raised his eyebrow and the corner of his mouth twitched. 

“At least someone is being responsible tonight,” He huffed before moving to the table. With my lips in a smile, I spread the blanket out on my lap and chest, snuggling into it to stave off the cold chill of the lab. 

It was movie night, and somehow Cisco and Barry had convinced Harry to join. Usually it would have just been Cisco, Caitlin, Barry, Iris, Ralph, and I, but ever since it became public news that Harry and I were dating, they had been trying to catch Harry in the act of being romantic. Aka, not a grump. 

Naturally it hadn’t happened yet, so they picked a horror movie for tonight in hopes that I would get scared as Harry would then, in turn, be lovey dovey and let me cower against him. Fat chance, Harry wasn’t big on PDA and we had only been dating for like two months. The most we had done was kiss and that was never around the others. 

“Beth. Beth. Beth.” Cisco called as he slipped into the spot on my left, slurping from his jumbo slushee. He wiggled his eyebrows. “You ready for movie night?”

“You mean am I ready to watch a horror movie you guys picked out to try and scare me?” I questioned, arching an eyebrow as Harry came over with a small bowl of popcorn and a glass of lemonade. Beaming up at him, I accepted the lemonade as he sat down on my right. “Yes, but I’m not planning on screaming like a little girl you know…” 

“We’ll see,” Cisco giggled to himself as Barry zipped in and everyone got settled. I scooted closer to Harry so our legs and arms were touching as Caitlin started scrolling through the movie library until she got to Insidious.

“Insidious?” I questioned as Caitlin clicked it with a sigh. “Not a bad choice, Patrick Wilson is pretty hot so I guess that’s a plus…” 

Harry let out a huff while Caitlin echoed my words, agreeing with the fact that Patrick Wilson was indeed hot. 

“Next movie night I vote for watching Phantom of the Opera.” Caitlin said as the title sequence started up. Ralph turned the lights off, plunging the room into darkness. Absentmindedly picking at the popcorn, I quickly drank my lemonade. It was one of my kryptonites. 

Finished with my lemonade, I abandoned it along with the popcorn to flop to the right and use Harry’s shoulder as a headrest. Ever so sneakily, Harry slipped his arm underneath my blanket and around my waist, his fingers settling on the curve of my hip. 

The movie went by surprisingly fast and by the time the movie was half done, Cisco and Ralph were picking fights with each other and my bladder was nearly bursting. Calling for a bathroom break, I untangled myself from my fleece blanket and quickly skedaddled to the nearest bathroom. 

Relieving my bladder, I started washing my hands when I heard the sounds of yelling and light crashing. Frowning, I looked at the door as I dried my hands off and wondered what the heck was going on this time. 

There was more shouts and yelling, and heaving out a big sigh, I went to investigate what had happened in the movie room in the few short minutes I had been away. The closer I got to the movie room, the louder the shouts and laughter were. Narrowing my eyes, I walked into the room and stopped at the snack table. 

Only to have something red, cold, and wet hit me in the chest, dousing my chin, neck, and upper shirt. A startled gasp left my lips at the cold temperature quickly soaking into my body, and spitting out the sweet cheery slushee I had taken to the chest, I opened my eyes to glare at the rooms occupants. 

There was food everywhere, popcorn littered the floor, a chair was overturned next to a pile of twizzlers, all sorts of candy had been flung about. My friends were caught red handed in the middle of a food fight. Cisco gaped at me while Caitlin covered her mouth and Iris started giggling. Even Harry had a shocked look on his face, not to mention he looked like he had sour cream in his hair from the little taco set up we had. 

“Beth, I totally didn’t mean—” Cisco said weakly as my eye twitched, but before he could get out anymore words, I snagged the bowl of Cisco’s beloved chips and threw it at him. He let out a girlish scream before diving for cover, then the food fight started back up. 

Lunging to my right, I grabbed a handful guacamole and lobbed it at the other side of the room, laughing when it hit Ralph square in the face. Giggling I ducked as Iris threw a handful of m&m at me, some of them actually hitting my slushee soaked shirt. Taking partial cover behind the table, I grabbed the takeout container full of the remaining guacamole and prepared for retaliation. 

Taking another bit of guacamole I popped up and threw the green glop in my hand at random, hitting Barry in the side. 

“Hey!” Barry exclaimed. “I thought I was on your side Elizabeth!” 

“There are no sides in a food fight Barry!” I called back, throwing another handful of guacamole at him. 

“Does the boyfriend get an exception?” Harry questioned, ducking from a flying pretzel. I turned his way and took a spiteful, but loving, handful of guacamole and smashed it into his chest while smiling sweetly up at him. 

“Nope!” I grinned as Harry’s mouth dropped open and he stared at the green substance slipping from his black sweater and onto the floor. Laughing at the priceless look on his face, I danced away from his reaching arms and reached for the remaining bowl of lettuce. 

“Oh no you don’t,” Harry huffed behind me and centimeters before my fingers closed around the bowl his hands wrapped around my waist and he was hauling me back. I was thrown over his shoulder and the blood started rushing to my head as I half heartedly beat at his back.

“Harry!” I protested loudly as the food continued to be thrown around us. “Put me down! This is cheating! Harry!”

Cisco and Ralph then started to team up and pelt us with little bits of popcorn and candy. Harry spun us in a circle, and I just knew he had one of those little smirks on his face. 

“Harrison Wells!” I screeched, slamming both of my palms on his back while kicking my legs. Resistance was futile, Harry was deceptively strong for someone who spent a lot of time in his lab, and I wouldn’t be going anywhere unless he wanted me to. 

I could hear more laughter and giggles as I continued to squirm, the last bit of food must have been thrown because the onslaught of food finally ceased. 

“For the record,” I spoke up, still hanging upside down on Harry’s shoulder. “Whoever threw the first and second throws gets to clean this mess up.” 

I heard both Cisco and Ralph groan and Caitlin start to snicker at them.

“Barry, wanna give us a hand?” 

“I think I’d rather have Beth not mad at me,” Barry timidly replied like the smart man he was. 

“Good choice,” I mumbled before poking Harry in the small of his back. “You know I love it when you go all he man, but I’d rather not smell like a slushee come tomorrow.” 

“Come on, I’m sure you left a spare change of clothes somewhere.” Harry said before walking in the direction of his room. 

“Well it’s not like I have much of a choice at the moment,” I huffed, propping myself up on my elbow and dropping my chin into my hand. As Harry walked I stared Ralph and Cisco down. “This better be cleaned up by tomorrow morning.” 

They both gulped and nodded as Harry rounded the corner. Letting out a soft sigh, I drummed my fingers on Harry back. 

“How did you end up with sour cream in your hair?” I queried. Harry let out another huff. 

“You can thank Cisco,” My lips split into a grin that I was glad he couldn’t see. “But at least Cisco didn’t smear avocado on my favorite sweater.” 

“Guacamole actually,”

_“Feh,”_

“Oh come on, you and I both know that those sweaters of yours are practically indestructible, one wash and it’ll be good as new.” I huffed back. “But it was pretty funny…”

He didn’t think it was funny because a few seconds later he was pinching my butt. I let out small squeal and wiggled on his shoulder. 

“Harry!” I exclaimed, shooting a dirty look at his shoulder as he entered his room. He pulled me back over his shoulder and set my feet on the floor. “That was so uncalled for!”

“Was it?” He countered, gently taking my wrists and looked down at me with a raised eyebrow. I pouted my lips at him before shivering slightly and wrinkling my nose. Looking down I stared at my light blue shirt that was plastered to my skin, my bra showing in parts. 

“I don’t suppose I can borrow your bathroom? This is both uncomfortable and cold…” I mused as I stared down at my red tinged neck and chest. Harry pulled me forwards once more before releasing my wrists and wrapped an arm around my waist. His other hand cupped my head as he leaned down as if to inspect the mess. 

“It looks like it is staining your skin,” Harry observed, his eyebrows furrowing. “You may want more than just a quick clean up.” 

“Well, it’s not like I can lick it off myself,” I muttered quietly. “Besides, I’m not the one with sour cream in my hair.” 

Harry let out an amused snort before brushing a drop of slushee from my neck. 

“You can borrow my shower, but that shirt is going to have to come off now if you don’t want it to stain. I’ll go get some Shout,” Harry detached himself to and walked off to get the stain remover while I peeled my shirt from my skin and pulled it over my head. 

Grimacing from how sticky and gross my skin felt, I turned my shirt right side out and held it up in front of me. It was a good thing this wasn’t one of my more favorite shirts. While I was staring at my shirt, Harry came up behind me, sans sweater, and wrapped his arms around my naked waist. 

I felt his nose briefly run across my shoulder before his tongue darted out and licked a stripe up my sticky neck. My face flamed red as I repressed a small squeak. 

“You know I probably don’t taste very good,” I whispered out while curling my fingers into his arms. “You know, probably like Red 40?”

Harry chuckled against my skin, pressing a few light kisses that made me shiver before twisting my body in his arms. I planted my hands on his chest and looked up into his face. 

“Can you blame me for being envious of a droplet running across your skin?” I licked my lip, my eyes darting away as my ears started to turn red. 

“Envious of a slushee, Dr. Wells?” I questioned, returning my eyes to his sparkling blue ones. “May I inform you that I am not dating a slushee?”

His lips curved into a half smile, half smirk and he bent back down to press his lips against mine. I will admit, this was not how I was expecting this night to end, me shirtless and covered in a melted slushee while making out with Harry. But I wasn’t going to complain. 

I kissed back, happy to be receiving any type of attention from the great Harrison Wells of Earth-Two. Harry’s hands glided over my bare back, stroking my skin and leaving behind delightful little zings across my skin. 

Groaning softly against his lips, my fingers clutched at his shirt when Harry deepened the kiss and nipped at my bottom lip. It was moments like this that I treasured the most. Just Harry and I. Except I was shivering from being cold, rather than being delighted. 

“I think I should probably get my girlfriend cleaned and warmed up before we go any further.” Harry sighed against my lips before hugging me close and pressing a kiss to my hair. “How would you feel about showering with me?”

“People actually do that?” I questioned as I rested my head against his chest. “Like actually shower rather than just goof off?”

“Yeah, Beth,” Harry answered with a small laugh. “People do actually take showers with the intention to get clean.”

Snorting, I socked him in the stomach before grabbing his wrist and tugging him in the direction of the bathroom. Entering the bathroom, I started shimmying my jeans down my legs as Harry got the shower going.

I hadn’t exactly through this through. Showering with Harry meant I had to be naked, he hadn’t seen me naked yet, nor had I seen him. Was now a good time to start freaking out? I looked down at my bra and underwear clad body. 

Come on Elizabeth, you really like Harry and he hasn’t done anything to make you feel uncomfortable so far. Reaching back I undid the hooks of my bra and let the damp material fall from my shoulders. From there I pushed my underwear down my legs and flicked those to the side. 

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Harry staring at my back and exposed butt. He was in the process of removing his shirt, the material tangled in arms. Giving him a teasing smile I stepped into the shower. 

Hot water started pelting my sticky skin and sighing out as the heat immediately started soothing my cold body. Letting out a deep breath, I brushed my hands over my hair.

“Feel better?” Harry asked, sidling up to me and snaking his arms around my waist as he buried his face in my neck. I had new shivers going up my spine, but not from being cold. Sighing, I leaned back into Harry’s arms. 

“Much…” I breathed out, resting the back of my head on his shoulder. “I’m starting to see the appeal in this and we haven’t even done anything.” 

Harry chuckled before reaching for the wash cloth and the soap he used. 

“I’m afraid the only soap and shampoo I have in here, Miss Meadows, are the ones I use, so if you will tolerate smelling like me I can clean you up.” 

“Isn’t it a thing for guys making their significant others smell like them?” I questioned, leaning my head back to look up into Harry’s face. “I already like the way you smell, so that’s a bonus for me because I’ll be reminded of you.” 

From there Harry gently scrubbed my skin free of slushee and other food particles while I ran my fingers through his own hair, getting out the sour cream that had stuck to his dark strands. There was something deeply intimate about showering with Harry, but in a total non sexual way. His hands ran over my skin in a loving way, rubbing soothing circles until my skin literally felt like silk.

I would have probably been completely contempt to stay standing there, running my fingers through his washed hair until the water ran cold, but Harry was spinning me back around. My fingers were torn from his hair as I grumbled underneath my breath. 

“Hey, you got to have fun with my hair,” Harry mused huskily in my ear as he held my back against his body. “I think it’s my turn.” 

Pouting like a four year old, I grumbled a little more as he started running his fingers through my hair. In less than a minute I understood the social grooming of primates, having your hair washed and played with by someone felt heavenly. Even more so when the person doing the washing was your boyfriend. 

Eventually shower time had to come to and end, and while Harry and I were drying off he managed to convince me to stay the night, citing that it was late and it was the responsible thing to not let me drive home. I don’t think I was going to resist that hard anyways, it meant I got to snuggle with him. 

So after pulling on my underwear and donning one of Harry’s clean shirts, I climbed into his bed with him, snuggling against his chest while he wrapped an arm around my waist. 

“So are you convinced?” Harry asked as he lightly brushed his fingers up and down my arm. I leaned my head back to look up into his face. 

“Convinced about what?”

“Showering together?” Harry prompted with a lazy half smile. I blinked up at him before letting out a content sigh. 

“I think I rather enjoy them,” I answered before reaching up to play with his rapidly drying black hair. “But next time I want more time to play with your hair.” 

“Is that all you want to do?” He asked, his eyebrow popping up. I gave him a hand shrug before making point to tug on the ends in my grasp. 

“I like playing with your hair, it’s so soft and silky, and always so spiky and messy.” I said happily before snuggling into his chest more. “Besides, how often do we get to just hold each other?”

“Not often enough,” Harry sighed before pressing a kiss to my damp hair. “Which makes me sometimes wonder what you even see in me.” 

My arms around his torso tightened as I buried my face into his chest. 

“What I see in you is a brilliant man who is devoted to his work, his family, and will do anything for the safety of his daughter.” I whispered to him. “And I would not change a thing about you.” 

He sighed again and tightened his grip on my body. He wasn’t arguing with me on that, good, there was hope for him yet. I fell asleep in his arms with a smile on my lips.


	6. Last Christmas (Harry Wells)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Last Christmas:** Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, and the very next day you disappeared with it. Daphne is Team Flash’s certified residential Grinch, and this year she expects to be the same doom and gloom person she has been since her ex was erased from existence. This Christmas, her tears will be saved by someone unexpected.  
>  **Warnings:** Language  
>  **To Note:** Let me have my soft Harry, pls

“So Joe said he’s making a double batch of Grandma West’s eggnog. I think we’ll have plenty as long as people don’t start drinking like fish.” Cisco spoke where he, Caitlin, and Ralph were standing. “And by fish I mean Barry cause he can’t get drunk…” 

Huffing underneath my breath, I shook my head at the thought. Barry could very well drink all the eggnog and wouldn’t feel any of the effects of the alcohol I knew was slipped into the mix. The drink was so smooth and delicious a normal non meta human could easily get drunk off the stuff. I could vouch for that, years ago I had fallen into the trap and ended up completely smashed, leaving my then boyfriend to make sure I went home with him so I wasn’t completely drunk and alone at my apartment. 

“Don’t worry about that, I mixed up Barry some alcohol in my lab to mix into his eggnog.” Caitlin reassured the small group. “He may not feel drunk, but he’ll feel buzzed enough to not drink all of the nog.” 

“Don’t you have more important things to discuss than Barry’s proclivity to drink all the eggnog?” I grumpily interjected. “Crime doesn’t stop simply because it’s the holidays.” 

“Someone’s feeling like a grinch today,” Ralph commented as I shot the group a look before returning to sewing Barry’s Flash suit. In the scuffle, it had somehow managed to get torn on the legs. Cisco had come up with a super strong thread, but it had to be hand sewn. I was the only one with extensive experience so it fell to me to do the patchwork. 

“Daphie is always like that around this time,” Cisco muttered quietly, not bringing up the topic of why I turned into a literal grinch around this time of year. “Don’t let our residential grinch bring you down, Dibny. She’ll perk up once we’re passed the New Years.” 

My eyes glanced at the group again and caught Caitlin’s sad ones, years on and I was still getting pity and sad looks. It didn’t matter how many times I told them it was fine, I still got looks. 

“Well then maybe we should invite the residential grinch to the party!” Dibny exclaimed excitedly. “Show her that this is a time for cheer and not doom and gloom.” 

“Good luck with that,” Cisco snorted shaking his head. “She’s invited, Ralph, she just chooses not to show up.” 

Ralph’s face contorted in confusion, his head snapping my way while I let out a deep sigh and shook my head, trying to get back the job at hand. I didn’t even have to look up to see that Ralph and sidled his way over to where I sat.

“Come on Daphne, it’s Christmas! Wouldn’t you rather spend it surrounded by friends and those you love?” The sewing needle in my hand jerked and I stuck it right in my finger. Letting out a hiss in pain, I withdrew my finger and waved it in the air. 

Harry, who had been fiddling with one if his inventions caused and looked up at my hiss of pain. My eyes darted over to his before flickering up to Ralph. 

“I don’t do love,” I bluntly stated before looking down at my bleeding finger. Letting out a heavy sigh, I stuck my finger in my mouth, tasting the coppery metallic taste of my blood. 

“Hey Ralph, wanna see a new trick I learned?” Barry piped up, thankfully distracting Ralph from further questioning why I was so bitter during this time.

“How new we talking?” Ralph asked, rising to the offered bait. 

“Like vibrating through walls new,” Barry responded, Ralph quickly trotted over while Cisco and Caitlin got to their feet. 

“I better go with them since we all know this is going to result in something broken,” Caitlin sighed while Cisco giggled. 

“Yeah but it’s gonna be awesome,” Cisco added, pulling out his phone to no doubt record this event. The four of them disappeared, leaving me alone in the Cortex with a bleeding finger and Harry.

Pulling my finger from my mouth, I stared at my fingertip, noting that the blood had significantly reduced in flow.

“You know you should go,” My eyes flickered back to Harry, he was looking at me with those haunting blue eyes of his. “It’ll do you some good to get out of this place.”

“What good will going to a party do for me?”

“For starters it’ll help you move on.” Harry grunted, I narrowed my eyes at him. I knew I shouldn’t have opened my mouth to him that night we both had been drinking. I had spilled all of my reasons for why I had avoided him and why I never went to the West family Christmas party. 

You could say we had come friends of sorts after I had drunkinly gushed my heart out to him of how I was very much in love with my (ex) boyfriend Harrison Wells, and then proceeded to climb into his lap and make out with a stunned Harry Wells from Earth-Two. Nothing had been more humiliating and embarrassing than learning that after I had passed out mid make out, still in his lap. 

As grumpy as Harry is, he is actually a gentleman and I had woken up sleeping on his bed in the lab, a mother of all hangovers pounding my brain. Cue mortification at realizing that Harry had dragged me back to his room to sleep off my hangover, where I proceeded to vomit on myself and then cry myself back to sleep, leaving Harry to change me into something not covered in vomit. 

I had stood in front of Harry, wearing a pair of Star labs sweatpants and one of his coveted black sweaters, blushing beet red while blurting out a thousand apologies so fast he probably didn’t even understand half of what I was saying. In a very unHarry like move, he had sat me down, shoved a coffee in my hands, and forced me to tell him everything about me and the Harrison Wells impersonator. 

He had been pissed, naturally, he always got pissy when Eobard was mentioned, yelling that ‘He’s not Wells, I’m Wells!’ while running a hand through his perpetually messy hair. From there, Harry and I’s dynamic changed. I skirted less around him, I was more comfortable (ish, he still knew that I had fallen in love Harrison Wells and I had made out with him while flat out drunk), and our words weren’t as snippy with each other. 

“Will it?” I questioned him numbly. “Cause the thought of going to one of those is nauseating, I’ve— I’ve never been to one by myself and every time someone mentions it I think of the last one I went to.” 

“Making new memories will help push out the old ones, Daphne,” Harry pointed out, gesturing with the screw driver in his hands. “Stop thinking about him, think about someone else…”

“Like who…” I huffed, slumping back in my seat, I tacked on a last part underneath my breath. “You? Believe me I’ve tried…” 

“What?” Harry questioned, I blinked and my cheeks went pink. Please tell me that he didn’t just hear that?

“Nothing, just bitching to myself,” I answered loudly before looking down at suit in my hands. “I should get this done before Barry needs it again.”

With that I busied myself with finished up the repair on Barry’s suit, ignoring the glances Harry sent my way and the deep look etched onto his face. It was dark outside by the time I was finished with Barry’s suit and just in time too because he needed it to go head off a bank robbery. Since my job was done for the night, I decided to pack my things up and head home with the somber cloud snowing over my head.

“Daphne,” Harry called just as I finished zipping up my coat and shouldering my bag. I looked at him. “Think about what I said and at least entertain the thought, pretty sure they miss seeing your face.” 

Biting down on my lip, I gave him a small nod before adjusting the strap on my shoulder and walking out of the Cortex. 

*****

“What am I doing with my life,” I muttered weakly to myself as I stood on the stoop to the West household, internally battling myself to raise my hand and press the doorbell. It had been so long since I had last been here I felt like an outsider. But it was also freaking freezing, my legs already felt like ice cubes, and I was pretty sure my make up was going to freeze right off my face so I jabbed my finger agains the doorbell and waited. 

Curling my icy fingers in on themselves, I chewed my pink lip only for a few minutes before the door was opened revealing a laughing Joe. As soon as our eyes met, his laughter quieted. 

“Room for one more?” I asked tentatively. “It’s kind of cold out and I’m seriously rethinking my brilliant idea of wearing a dress…” 

Joe let out a small laugh before opening the door and making a ‘come here’ sign with his hands. 

“Come on Daph, you are always welcome, we’ve missed you.” Joe said with a bright smile while I stepped forwards, entering the warm house. Working my coat open, I slowly slipped it from my shoulders, Joe automatically reaching to take it from me. “You looked like an ice cube, go get some mulled cider before someone decides to spike that too.” 

“What do you mean by ‘spike that too’?” I questioned him as he put my coat in the coat closet. He snorted in amusement. 

“It means someone spiked the nog and it isn’t even out yet,” Joe replied before striding for the living room. “We have a special visitor!” 

Stepping into view, I gave the room’s occupants a small wave, watching as jaws dropped and Cisco nearly tripped over the coffee table. 

“Daphne!” Iris exclaimed before immediately walking over for a hug. “I’m so glad you could come!”

“It’s long over due,” I answered softly as Iris gave me one of her big warm hugs. “I heard that the eggnog has already been spiked?” 

A rippled of laughter went through the crowd of people as fingers were pointed. Iris pulled away before grabbing my hands and frowning. 

“You’re hands are freezing, take a seat and I’ll get you some mulled cider, assuming that hasn’t been spiked yet.” Judging by the exasperation in Iris’s voice I could tell several attempts had already been made, and as Iris peeled away to glide to the kitchen a brief grin stretched across my pink lips. 

“Alright, which one of you is it?” I questioned, turning my gaze to Caitlin, Cisco, Ralph, Barry, and Harry. I already knew Cecile was innocent. Cisco and Ralph immediately pointed at each other and then started arguing while Caitlin and Barry pointed in the squabbling boys direction. I turned my gaze to Harry, he was sharp enough to have figured it out. “Harry?” 

The last thing I expected was for his lips to twist into a devious little smirk as he leaned back on the love seat. 

“Sorry, can’t help you.” Harry drawled out, the picture of innocence as he pushed his glasses up his nose and gave me his signature innocent smile. Letting out an unamused huff, I rubbed my forehead. 

“Children, I am surrounded by children.” 

“I’ll agree with you on that point,” Cecile piped up. “Sit, stay a while,”

My eyes scanned the available spots and I found only one… next to Harry. Figures. Inwardly sighing, I walked over to the love seat and sat down, making sure my dress didn’t slide up. Iris came sauntering back into the living room with a steaming mug of mulled cider, which I accepted with a quiet thanks.

Looking down at the spiced mixture, I let out a sigh as my chilled fingers slowly warmed up from the heat of the drink. 

“So Daphie,” Cisco asked out, breaking from his argument with Ralph to look my way. “What made you decide to break your five year streak of Grinchness?” 

My eye twitched as those sitting looked at me, all wondering what had convinced me to come after refusing to entertain the idea of celebrating for so long. I could practically feel Harry’s eyes burning into the side of my head. 

“Long story, not explaining it, happy holidays.” I barked out before taking a sip of my mulled cider and turning my eyes to the crackling fireplace. 

“And her Grinchness appears,” Cisco said, rocking back in his seat while I huffed through my nose. “She’s a work in progress.” 

“I can hear you Cisco,” 

“I’m aware,” Rolling my eyes, I took a sip of my mulled cider, relishing the warmth it spread through my cold body. Why did I think it was a god idea to wear a dress with straps rather than long sleeves? Oh that’s right, cause I looked good in it and I was trying to make myself feel better. 

The night went on with lighter conversations and a few shuffling of seats as people got up to get snacks and drink refills. When the highlight of the night, grandma West’s eggnog, was broken out everyone ended up with a glass in hand, crowding into the living room to start up a game of trivia. 

I had arrived last after heading to the bathroom to make sure that I hadn’t smudged my pink lipstick into an embarrassing mess, only to find that there were no viable spots left. 

“Guess I’m standing,” I joked lightly, heading over to the loveseat to take up a spot next to it. It would be the perfect place to stand since I could rest my eggnog on the fireplace mantle. 

“You are not standing,” Cecile spoke up before turning to Joe. “Do we have any seats left?” 

“Cecile it’s fine,” I responded with a small laugh before lightly sitting on the sturdy armrest of the loveseat next to Harry. “See? I’m flexible,” 

“Daphne,” Cecile sighed, her eyes pleading as she tried to scramble to come up with a solution. “I wouldn’t be a good host—“

I didn’t catch the rest of her words because I was caught off guard by an arm sliding around my waist and tugging off my perch. Letting out a small yelp as I fell back, I landed in Harry’s lap, my left arm wrapping around his neck as I steadied myself. My eyes flickered to Harry’s as I scowled. 

“A little warning next time, thank you very much!” I huffed at him as our friends gawked at us. “And I was perfectly fine standing.”

“Don’t argue with me, Daphne,” Harry huffed back before addressing the rest of the groups. “Now I believe we are playing trivia?” 

Joe blinked before setting the deck of cars on the coffee table and writing down the teams. Joe and Cecile, Barry and Iris, Cisco and Caitlin, and Harry and me. Ralph at this point was almost snoring in his seat so he wasn’t going to be included. 

Shifting so I wasn’t sitting as haphazard in Harry’s lap, I grasped my elbows and kicked off my nude pumps to get comfortable. Naturally since I was on Harry’s team, we were dominating the game, Cisco and Caitlin coming in close behind us. Part way through the game, Joe had to get up to add more logs to the fire because it was burning low, which prompted me to harass Cisco into forking over a blanket to cover myself with. 

Snuggling into the blanket, I nearly jumped five feet into the air when Harry’s hand landed on my bouncing knee which had become uncovered when my dress rode up. His warm hand pressed down, stopping my nervous tick and signaling to my brain that I had unconsciously been doing. I shot him an apologetic look as Joe read out the next question. 

“Alright, this one is a history question so I don’t know how many of you will get this one, and just so you know, Harry and Daphne are one question away from winning.” Joe mused with a smirk on his lips. “Which country was NOT formerly part of Yugoslavia?”

I perked up, my eyes turning to Harry’s with excitement, finally something I could contribute to. Leaning over, I held up my hand to cover my mouth. 

“It’s Albania,” I whispered to him with a grin, his eyebrow popped up while his thumb stroked across my knee. “We totally have this game in the bag.”

“I’ll leave this question to you then, Daph,” Harry replied with a cheeky smile. Turning my eyes to Joe, I slipped my hand out from underneath the blanket and waved it. 

“There is no way you know this Daphie Duck,” Cisco huffed dramatically while I turned to him and stuck my tongue out at him. 

“Alright Daphne, have at it, what’s the answer?” 

“Albania,” I stated proudly. Joe’s eyebrows went up and he looked down at the card again, everyones eyes glued to him to see if I was correct. 

“I don’t know how you got it, but you’re right,” Joe sighed, tossing the card on the coffee table while Cisco groaned out. 

“But seriously,” Caitlin spoke up, looking at me with impressed eyes. “How did you know that?” 

“Daphne has a degree in History,” Harry spoke up, his fingers brushing further up my leg while I blushed slightly. “She also did her capstone project on the Balkan Peninsula.” 

“I mentioned that once ages ago,” I said, looking at Harry with an arched eyebrow. “How do you remember that?” 

“I may be a grumpy cynical ass, but I do actually listen,” Harry responded as I reached for my glass which had been retrieved and sipped on my almost gone eggnog. “I remember it because you said it was important to you.”

“Wow, way to make us look like asses, Harry,” Cisco huffed, pouting his lip out. 

“You welcome,” Rolling my eyes, I looked to Iris and Barry. 

“Are those two still out?” I asked, nearly yawning myself. Joe looked to his daughter and son in law. 

“Definitely, but I think I’ll wake them up so they can actually sleep in their bed rather than the couch.”

“Well I guess that means more nog for me,” Cisco said excitedly before standing up and lurching towards the kitchen. Caitlin rolled her eyes before getting up to follow him. While Cecile and Joe were heading Iris and Barry upstairs, I turned to Harry snuggling further into the blanket before tentatively laying my head down on his shoulder. 

“Who did you try to imagine?” My heart froze in my chest at that question.

“Why do you want to know,” I questioned shakily, hoping that it was just a random question he didn’t really want to know the answer to. 

“I heard you earlier today, Daphne, and I convinced myself that I misheard you,” Harry explained softly as he trailed his fingers along the inside of my thigh. “But the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced I heard correctly.” 

Letting out a small breath, I straightened up and looked into Harry’s eyes. 

“You’re hearing is perfectly fine, Harrison Wells,” I told him. “At first it was because you looked just like him. But then, then I realized that I really was in love with the man he pretended to be, and that scared me.”

“Why would it scare you?” 

“Because I didn’t know if I fell in love with Harrison Wells or someone who didn’t exist.” I whispered, my chin dropping in shame. “I didn’t want the truth to be that I had fallen in love with a man Eobard created. Then I met you, and I got to know who Harrison Wells really is. I’ve already given my heart to one Harrison Wells, this Christmas I think I’d like to save myself from tears and heartbreak. It hurts too much.”

“Why would you feel heartbroken? Eobard is in the past.” 

“It’s not Eobard I have to worry about these days, Harry,” I answered honestly, shrugging my shoulders. “It’s you.” 

Harry stared at me that unreadable expression of his. He was thinking, that much I knew, but about what? I did not know. Something seemed to click in his brain. 

“Daphne, how much of that night do you remember?” He questioned me softly. I blinked at him before my cheeks heated up. I didn’t have to ask which night he was referring to. 

“Mostly just the humiliating parts like throwing myself at you, proceeding throw up on myself, and then passing out, leaving you to clean up after me.” I answered shyly, not wanting to answer but knowing that he deserved the truth. 

“Then you forgot that you blurted out exactly how you feel about knowing a real Harrison Wells and the fact that gave you an answer to how I felt.” That really had my cheeks setting on fire. Closing my eyes I pressed my hand to my face and shook my head. 

“I am so sorry, that was really… shit just how drunk was I that night?” 

“Drunk enough to be one hundred percent truthful,” Harry answered before taking my face in hand and forcing me to look him in the eyes. “I’m feeling magnanimous tonight, would you like to know what you have inherently forgotten?” 

I stared into Harry’s blue eyes, biting my lip slightly as confliction ricocheted in my body. Did I really want to know what truly happened that night? 

“Would you rather me show you?” Harry asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Does it involve you dumping me on the cold ground?” I questioned nervously. Harry snorted before giving me a hint of a smile and shaking his head. 

“Far from it, Daph,” He responded softly before gazing down at me. Rather than my heart take off like a jack rabbit, I stared up at Harry feeling totally subdued by his hypnotic blue eyes. His face lowered and our noses brushed together, that broke the hypnosis seconds before his lips were capturing mine.

My eyelids snapped shut as his mouth moved against mine, softly, delicately, pulling out only the best sensations and emotions. My body went slack in his arms. Harry teased my lips by tracing them with his tongue until I parted my lips. 

I could not believe how soft this man could kiss when all I knew from Eobard Thawne was fiery, intense, and passionate. This was intoxicating, comforting, and I knew I could very well become addicted if I wasn’t careful. 

Harry’s hand slid into my pinned up hair, pulling my lips further against his soft and warm ones, and at this point, I couldn’t help but reach out with my hand and sink my fingers into his sweater. It had been so long since anyone had kissed me with this much care and delicacy, I thought I was dreaming. 

When Harry pulled away, he didn’t go far, pressing his forehead lightly against mine, Harry hugged my body closer to his. 

“Is that enough of an explanation of how I feel about you, Daphne?” Harry quietly asked, brushing his fingers through my hair. 

“So that’s what it feels like to be kissed by Harrison Wells,” I whispered in return, my lips tingling in the most delightful way. “I feel like I am just getting to know you.” 

“Does this mean you’re thinking of me?” My lips twitched.

“I think I might need more distraction,” Harry’s lips curved into a half smirk. 

“That I can do,” He said before lowering mouth to mine once more. 

_Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, and the very next day you disappeared with it. This year, to save me from tears, I gave it to someone special. I gave it to Harry Wells._


	7. Unrequited (Savitar)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Unrequited:** Emotional pain was an old friend, bitterness an ex that I always crawled back to, I was drunk on misery, and numb from the daggers that were thrust into my heart every time Barry smiled at me. Liliana Nichols had been Barry’s best friend since they were in diapers and drooling on each other. Unfortunately for her, she has dealt with a little thing called unrequited love for the past seventeen years, and she has reached her breaking point.  
>  **Warnings:** Language, insinuated dub-con, controlling Savitar!Barry, angst?  
>  **To Note:** omg, like I legit never thought I’d write angst, or anything like this in general, but this little number did something to me and I love it…, Savitar x OC

My fingernails dug into my jeans as I tried my hardest to keep a happy smile on my face for my friend and best friend. The forced happiness almost came second nature to me after all these years of faking happiness for Barry, and since he had started actually dating Iris, it had become infinitely harder. But I was an expert at hiding my true feelings, after all, I had been doing so since I was ten. Practice made perfect I suppose. 

Barry Allen had been my best friend since we were both in diapers and drooling on each other. Up until his mother’s murder, we had been attached at the hip as next door neighbors. After Nora’s death Barry moved in with the West’s and I started seeing less of him, my child me had figured he wouldn’t be gone for long and we would soon be back to our normal lives, spending most of our free time together. 

I was wrong. Iris West came into the picture, and Barry’s attention had abruptly shifted into reverence towards the pretty girl. The three of us became friends of course, but I knew that he only had eyes for Iris and when he confided with me about his crush, I felt like my heart was being squeezed through a vice. 

But I was a loyal best friend, and would never, ever, purposefully do anything to hurt Barry, so I had smiled and nodded happily for him, unshed tears in my eyes. Seventeen years later, that pain still echoed in my chest, only this time, the echos stabbed at my heart every time the two kissed, held hands, or did something only couples did. 

Twenty seven years old and I was still very much in love with my best friend. 

Blinking at the burning sensation in both my eyes, and my nose, I sniffed before looking up and seeing Barry hugging Iris, both of them laughing in elation at whatever was being said. I wanted that, I wanted that so bad it physically hurt. 

“Hey Lilli,” Cisco greeted as he bounced up to me with a big grin. “Everything okay? You’ve been staring off into space for like, five minutes.”

Sniffing again, I smiled brightly before looking around, everyone was still in the throes of happiness, everyone but me that is…

“Oh I’m fine, just taking a little break from the love fest over there,” I responded with a small laugh. “Actually, I’m feeling a little hot, think I’ll duck out for a minute or two to cool down.” 

“Kay, just don’t stay out too long, Savitar is still out there and if he thinks he can go after Barry using you, he will.” Cisco chimed, pointing his fingers at me. “And your like my little powerhouse of good vibes, so don’t get yourself killed or anything, okay? These nerds might not realize how valuable and awesome you are to the team, but I do.” 

Smiling wryly at him, I rolled my eyes before popping up from my seat and stuffing my hands into my sweater pockets. Making a quick exit, I started walking towards the back exit of the labs, wanting to be alone, with no interruptions. 

It was the best, and easiest way to pour my emotions out in private, and then compose myself again before heading back. Release the emotions I held back, and then put a stopper on my heart and act like everything was sunshine and daisies once more. 

A shuddering sigh left my lips as the back door swung shut behind me and I started walking towards one of the nearest back alleys. It was cold out, almost to the point of being able to see your breath, but I found that it was perfect. The cold would numb my flayed heart, and hopefully make the hurt less prominent. 

I stumbled in a dark alley and pressed my hand against the side of the nearest building as a choked whimper finally crawled up my throat. Blinking once, I finally let my tears run down my face. The hot little droplets quickly turned cold as they rolled and dripped off my face.

Gasping on a sob, I shoved my fist against my mouth to muffle my cries as I closed my eyes and let the sobs wrack my body. Emotional pain was an old friend, bitterness an ex that I always crawled back to, I was drunk on misery and numb from the daggers that were thrust into my heart every time Barry smiled at me. 

My chest heaved as I wrapped my arms around myself and hunched over, forcing out all the feelings I had for Barry Allen. Weeping from unrequited love, and the physical pain it caused, I barely reacted when a large, massive shadow emerged from the shadows.

Even with tears still rolling down my redden cheeks, I turned and looked up at the looming figure of Savitar. I should be terrified, I should be shaking from fear, not hurt, and I should be running back for the back door, screaming my head off. But I didn’t. No, I stared up at Savitar, my eyes taking in the glowing blue light that flashed around his metal body. 

“Do it,” I whispered challengingly, daring him to shove his blades through my body and end all of my pain. I stepped forwards, my red rimmed eyes trained on the glowing blue ones as my hands dropped to my sides and formed fists. “Just do it.”

Savitar just loomed over me, intimidating to say the very least, but not to me, not in this moment. 

“Go ahead!” I shouted up at him as my entire body trembled and shook. I just wanted the pain to be over, like washing dirt from skin. My face contorted as I screamed at him through my tears. “Kill me!”

Nothing, not even a subtle shift in armor. Letting out a cry I darted forwards and rammed my fist against the metal chest plate, trying to get a reaction out of the man. 

“Come on, just kill me already!” I screamed at him as I threw my body against his, hitting him as hard as I could. “Kill me you coward!” 

Bringing up my foot, I tried kicking him the chest, then punching again, and even tried prying the metal parts off his chest. He didn’t move, just let me take out my heartbreak and frustration on him. With a final cry, I shoved both of my hands against him.

I ended up stumbling back a few steps, panting for breath before dropping to my knees and burying my face in my hands, fully breaking down. 

“Just make it stop, please make it stop. I just want it to stop hurting, haven’t I suffered enough?”

By now I was a whispering, sobbing mess, not one ounce of control in my body as I hunched over and shook from my sobs. My fingers nails bit into my scalp, my fingers tugged at my hair, and I sucked in heaving breaths, almost at the point of hyperventilating.

Kneeling numbly on the asphalt, I didn’t even register that Savitar had moved, or that someone had left the silver armor. Warm hands pulled my own away from my scalp before tugging me forwards and pressing my shaking body against another. 

I was so emotionally raw at this point, I didn’t care who Savitar was underneath all that armor, I just needed someone to hold me. Pressing my face against his chest, my fingers reached up to bury themselves in his shirt as I cried my heart out.

Savitar didn’t seem to be above letting me use him to cry on, one arm holding me securely by my back and the other gently caressing my hair. Eventually my tears ran dry, and my sobs turned into soft hiccups as I gripped the soft material of his shirt. The scent of cedar filled my nose as I tucked my chin in. 

“Why does life have to hurt so much?” I whimpered, the tear streaks on my face rapidly cooling from the cold night air. 

“Because he can’t see what’s been faithfully by his side no matter what he’s done.” I wasn’t expecting an answer, or for him to speak at all, but his hauntingly familiar voice sent a wave of calm through my body. “And he doesn’t deserve your love.”

Choking on my next whimper, I further pressed my face into his chest, wanting the feeling of comfort to last as long as possible before it would be ripped away from me like it had so many other times in my life.

“Lilli!” Cisco’s voice echoed throughout the night air, faint enough that I could tell he was probably sticking his head out the back door and looking for me. My fingers tightened on his shirt, I didn’t want this to end.

“Close your eyes,” Savitar said gently, and I did so, wanting this all to be a bad dream my eleven year old self had wildly cooked up after a night of fun with my best friend. With my eyes squeezed shut, I felt him move. He pulled me to my feet, his hands delicately taking my cheeks. A gentle kiss was pressed to my forehead, lingering longer than normal, and before I knew it, his touch was gone.

“Lilli!” Cisco called again, this time much closer. “Oh there you are! Come on! It’s not safe for you to be out here with Savitar on the loose, he might have Iris in mind as a target but your Barry’s best friend, I wouldn’t put it past him to go after you…” 

Letting out a breath, my lips trembled as I opened my eyes to find the space where Savitar once loomed, empty. I took a step back, looking around in paranoid confusion as Cisco trotted up to me. 

“Come on Lils, it’s not safe out here,” Cisco echoed before I looked at him. His eyebrows immediately went up and a frown appeared on his face. “You okay? Wait, stupid question, of course you’re not okay… come on, I’ve got some hot chocolate stashed somewhere in the lab.”

*****

I was sitting by Cisco’s desk, my fingers wrapped around a steaming mug of hot chocolate from Cisco’s private collected. At this point I had stopped sniffling, I had calmed down some, and my eyes were hopefully not red anymore.

“So like, what’s up?” Cisco asked, sitting down in his chair with his own mug of hot chocolate. “You are like the chillest, happiest person I know.”

“Even I’m allowed to cry, Cisco.” I mumbled quietly before taking a sip of the thick, luxurious hot chocolate.

“Yeah, I get that,” Cisco agreed. “But you looked like you had a full on melt down, like you had spent the last five minutes sobbing your heart out.”

I had. 

“That’s life for you,” I sighed, rubbing my cheeks. “But not everyone has the luxury to go crying into someone else’s arms, or even show weakness in front of friends. I’ll be fine, I suppose. I just have some things I need to work through.” 

“You sure, cause I might not be an expert on crying, okay that’s a lie, I bawl all the time over my favorite comics but not the point…” Cisco muttered before shaking his head. “Is there anything I can do to help? Cause we both know I’d be down for binge watching a few seasons of Game of Thrones with you over snacks and popcorn.”

“I’ll be fine, I just needed to get that all out, and since I have, I should probably head home, take a shower, and go to sleep.” I told him, placing my half drunk hot chocolate on his desk. “I’ll be up bright and early in the morning no doubt, a smiling ray of sunshine as usual.” 

“Want me to tell the others you’re going? Say good goodbye?” Cisco asked, perking up and setting his own cup down on his desk. I shook my head as I got to my feet. 

“No, no I’ll see them tomorrow… probably… don’t need to rain on their love fest.” I sighed as I gripped the back of the chair I had been using. “I’ll text you later, kay?”

“Don’t be a stranger,” Cisco called as I started walking towards the exit. “You’re my friend to you know!” 

I waved over my shoulder with a smile before officially heading out for the night. Grabbing my coat from where I had thrown it at the front desk, I shoved my arms through the holes and wrapped it around my body before hurrying out.

It was a walk home in misery and cold type of night, a freezing rain falling down from the sky made it even better, and my dower mood completed the broody night. When I got home, hopefully I had some sort of strong alcohol stashed away somewhere and could drown my sorrows for the night. 

Tomorrow would be a new day, and I had to be back to my usual perky self, that meant tonight was most likely a get hammered type of night, and forget about heartbreak. Or should I just take a hot shower and watch romantic comedies the rest of the night, wallowing alone in self pity like the drama queen I sometimes felt like being?

Hot shower, definitely hot shower because by the time I got home I was going to be soaked. My feet hurried across pavement that was soon turning wet from the rain as the dark and stormy skies opened up. Walking up the steps, I hunched over as I looked at my key ring and tried to find my house key. 

Finding it, I unlocked my door and stepped out of the rain. My raggedly rescue cat Yard Stick came hopping over with his usual gravely meow, looking up at me with his green eyes and mouth yawning open to reveal his teeth. 

“Glad to see at least one of us seemed to have a good day, Stick.” I sighed as I bent down and brushed my fingers over the tabby’s head. Kicking off my water logged boots, I tossed my keys and phone into the basket on the nearby table before wandering further into my house, Yard Stick hopping on his three legs to keep up.

I ran my hand over my wet hair and brushed some of the strands that had plastered against my head. Stopping in my laundry room, I stripped down to my damp underwear, leaving my jacket and sweater to hang drying by the windowsill. Yard Stick started purring and weaving his body around my legs, and with a soft sigh, I bent down and picked him up. 

Holding Yard Stick’s soft and warm body against my chest, I scratched his chin as I headed for my bathroom. 

“I did something stupid today, Stick.” I sighed to the cat as I set him on the bathroom counter and reached over to turn the shower on to hot. Yard Stick meowed at me. “Came across Savitar, and then tried to get him to kill me, obviously he didn’t do it, but still, pretty stupid of me. Who’d take care of you if I was dead?” 

“Mraow!”

“I know right? But I was in the throes of one of my melt downs, you know how they are, I can’t help but lash out and be impulsive.” I replied to the cat as I fixed the shower curtain and retrieved a fresh towel from the linen closet. Yard Stick stretched out on his two front feet and strained his neck to sniff my shoulder, his whiskers tickling my skin. “He held me you know, while I was bawling my eyes out.” 

My fingers rubbed against his cheek while the silly cat continued to purr and rub his face all over my fingers and skin. 

“I’m pretty sure I liked it too,” I murmured. “Savitar scares me, but the man behind that armor held me so gently, felt so comforting… I don’t understand his motives behind going after Iris, or why he didn’t kill me.”

“Murph?” 

“I’m a hopeless romantic dealing with unrequited love, Stick, I’m allowed to be sappy when I want to.” Yard Stick just yawned at me, revealing his remaining teeth before jumping down from the bathroom counter and hopping out of the bathroom. I shook my head and reached for the hooks on my bra.

Talking to my cat, sometimes I questioned my own sanity, but then I remembered that he was the only one I had to spill all my grievances to and received zero judgment. Dropping my bra to the floor and shimmying out of my underwear, I stepped into the shower and breathed out a sigh of relief as hot water pelted my chilled and shivering body. 

Brushing my hair back out of my face, I closed my eyes and let the water pelt my face. I probably spent way too much time in the shower, being broody and morose, but at least I wasn’t drinking my problems away. 

Half way through washing my hair I heard Yard Stick let out a yowl before hearing something crash to the floor. Dragging the curtain aside, I looked out of the shower at my darkened house beyond the door. 

“Yard Stick!” I yelled, knowing full well what the cat had most likely done, and that the naughty cat could hear me. “You better not be picking a fight with the Roomba again you three legged terror!”

There were no more crashing sounds, and no more yowls or angry cat sounds so I figured yelling at him must have done the job and went back to rinsing my hair out. Yard Stick picked a fight with just about everything that moved, hence why he was a three legged cat. He just didn’t know when to quit.

With my body washed with my favorite cherry blossom body wash, and my hair clean, I turned the water off and reached for my towel. Wrapping it around my body and securing it at my left shoulder, I quickly ran my brush through my wet hair before going off to find whatever Yard Stick had pick a fight with. 

Walking through my house clad only in my towel, I looked for my little rascal, and whatever he had probably broken. Yard Stick came hobbling up to me, his little engine going off as he rubbed his cheeks against my wet legs.

“What did you get into?” I questioned before walking over to where the lamp was. My foot stepped on something sharp, causing me to let out a yelp and step back with a hop. “Seriously Yard Stick?” 

I turned on the lamp and saw the glass pieces of a vase my grandmother had given me years ago, it lay now shattered on the floor, little specks of blood pooling at the base of my right foot. 

“You are lucky I hated this vase,” I snapped at the cat before crouching down to gather up the larger chunks and put them out of reach of my feet or Yard Stick’s paws. Yard Stick appeared in my vision, looking up at me in curiosity before turning around and trotting away. My eyes followed his little body as he neared my arm chair. 

Said arm chair wasn’t empty. 

Gasping, I jumped back to my feet, my arms going to my chest to secure my already secured towel. Whoever was sitting in my armchair seemed very relaxed, and since Yard Stick wasn’t attacking them, it had to be someone I knew. I couldn’t see their face because my little lamp didn’t give out much light, but I could see that whoever it was, was a man, and was wearing an all black outfit. 

“You named your cat Yard Stick?” I stiffened at the voice, my heart dropping in my chest before charging into a fast pace. How the hell did Savitar get into my house, and why was Yard Stick acting like a pussy cat around him?

“Well he’s got three feet, I thought it was fitting.” I responded tentatively, not really understanding what Savitar was doing here if he wasn’t going to kill me. Savitar let out a chuckle, and the breath was stolen from my chest. I knew that laugh, and considering how friendly Yard Stick was being, he could only be one person. 

But how was it possible? 

I shifted on my feet, my right foot stinging from the cut I had gained from stepping on the broken pieces of the ugly vase. There was only one way to find out. 

“Barry?” I questioned softly, thinking that maybe this was a Barry from the future, or another time line. I got another chuckle before he was moving, Savitar rose from my armchair and stepped out of the shadows. 

I couldn’t help the pained gasp followed by a soft whimper at seeing his face. Yes, he was Barry, a version of him, but half of his face had been scarred, and his right eye which once had been the beautiful blue color I loved was now a foggy gray color. 

“Oh Barry, what—“ I cut myself off as he used his super speed to zip to stand in front of me, wrapping an arm around my waist while placing a finger to my lips. 

“Shh,” He sounded softly, running his finger over my lips. My best friend instincts kicked in, and I reached up to gently place my hands on his cheeks. 

“Barry who did this?” I questioned, my voice wavering with emotion. “Who hurt you?”

Rather than respond, Barry seemed to jump slightly at my hand before closing his eyes and leaning into my soft touch. I let out another shuddering breath, my mind reeling at this version of Barry.

Savitar was Barry. Barry was Savitar. Savitar was trying to kill Iris. What had happened in his time line to cause this? This version of Barry seemed so much darker, his hair was longer, hanging into his face, obviously he lost sight in one eye, and the scars covering half of his face. Something terrible had happened to him.

“Barry?” I prompted quietly, trying to get him to say something. His face nuzzled into my hand before he took a deep breath and his eyes opened once more. 

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you,” He whispered, pain clear in his remaining. “Even longer since I’ve been able to hold you, touch you. When I found you crying in that alley, I couldn’t stay away from you, and when you begged me to kill you… I had to hold you.”

“Well, it was unbelievably comforting to have someone hold me for once.” I responded, licking my lips as my mind continued to struggle to figure this out. 

“Liliana, why did you ask me to kill you? Why do you want to die so bad?” Barry asked, his eye boring into mine. I stuttered out, dropping my hands and slowly running them down his chest until they rested comfortably against his shirt, the same shirt I had been sobbing on not that long ago. 

“Love hurts, it hurts so much, and I’ve spent seventeen years watching my best friend who I love, fall in love with another girl.” I answered honestly, my head ducking down. “Unrequited love is the worst pain I have ever felt, and I don’t think I can deal with it anymore. It just— it physically hurts, and I can only deal with so much pain before I break.” 

“Don’t ask me to kill you, ever again.” Barry said darkly, his eye taking on a dangerous glint, and just for a moment, a flash of fear ran through my body. I nodded my head quickly as he adjusted his grip on my face, his fingers cradling the side of my cheek while his thumb gently caressed my lower lip. His lips curved into a smile, and light filled his eye once more. “Good.”

It took me a few seconds to calm down from his abrupt mood change, before I found words on my tongue once more. 

“Barry, what happened? Why are you here?” He snorted softly, his lips twitching into a partial smirk. 

“In the future, Iris dies, and Barry can’t handle that, so he created fragments of himself to help figure out how to stop her death. I was created for one purpose, and when that failed, I was expendable, as you can see.”

My heart literally broke, if it could after being broken so many times before, but hearing that Savitar was only made to be used, and not treated as a person, it most certainly did.

“How could Barry do something like that?” I whispered, my eyes filled with horror. “He— He’s not like that, he wouldn’t— he wouldn’t do that, not to you, not to himself.” 

“Maybe not now, but he will,” Barry responded, his eye flashing with anger. “And that’s what gets you killed.” 

“What?” 

“It’s going to come down to a choice, Lilli,” He said gently. “And when that happens, he will choose Iris, and only her. Every. Single. Time.”

Tears prickled at my eyes at his words, and I found my mouth trembling at the knowledge that Barry, if given a choice, would always choose Iris over me.

“But not me,” Barry’s soft words had me lifting my tear filled eyes back to his. “You will always be my choice because you are deserving of it. He doesn’t deserve to have your love, your friendship, and you don’t deserve to live with this pain.” 

“How do I stop hurting?” I pitifully asked, almost at the begging point. “I’ll do anything to stop feeling like this.” 

“Then forget him.” I let out a shaky laugh. 

“How?” A second or two went by after I had asked my one word question, and before I knew it, he was pulling my chin up. His head bent down and in milliseconds his lips were on mine. To say that I was shocked was an understatement.

All thoughts of the turmoil in my heart were forgotten, the stabbing feeling I had gotten used to disappeared, and my mind hyper focused on one thing, and one thing only. Barry Allen was kissing me.

My mind didn’t think about how wrong this was, how I shouldn’t be kissing a fragment of Barry Allen, it wasn’t right, and I didn’t know him. But the way he was kissing me, and after over fifteen years of wondering what it was like, I found that my brain wasn’t being quick to catch up to the moment. 

I was too caught up in the feeling of soft, warm lips pressed hungrily against mine, slowly drawing out the oxygen from my lungs, to even think about the morality of kissing him. The arm around my waist tightened its grip, pushing my body further into his chest while my own hands dug into his shirt, my knuckles turning white.

Barry’s lips nipped and tugged at mine until I was a trembling mess in his arms and was letting out little startling gasps and moans. I ended up being so enthralled with kissing him I didn’t notice that the knot I had made with the towel was loosening until it slipped down my body a couple of inches. 

Letting out rather loud gasp, I jerked back, my hands automatically clutching at my sliding towel. A pink blush dusted across my cheeks as my mind finally registered what was going on. 

“Oh my god,” I breathed out, a panicking feel building in my chest. “I shouldn’t have done that, you— you shouldn’t have done. I mean Barry, if he finds out…” 

Mid panic, my world shifted in a fraction of a second I didn’t register until my back was being pressed into my sheets and Barry was hovering over me, the dark look back in his eyes as one his hands pressed against my throat in warning. A shiver of fear traveled down my spine at the look on his face.

“Stop thinking about him,” He growled darkly in my face. “I’m the only one you should be thinking about right now.” 

I let out a shaky breath, slightly scared of saying something to set him off again, so I opted to nod and whisper an okay under my breath. The dark looked morphed into a pleased one as he took my face in one of his hands and brushed his thumb across my cheek. 

“You don’t need him, you just need me,” Barry said, brushing his lips against mine before moving them down, running across my jaw and then down my neck as I shuddered underneath his touch. “Just me…”

He continued down my body until his hands where ghosting over my exposed thighs. Every second that ticked by felt like an eternity as his fingers kept on sliding until they reached my cut foot. Yellow light flashed around his fingertips and my foot tingled before completely ceasing to hurt. 

My head cocked to the side in confusion as I wiggled my foot around in his light hold. No pain, nothing at all…

“How…?” I mumbled, looking back up at his face. “How did you do that?”

His lips curved into a smirk and his green eye glittered as he started crawled back up to cage me underneath his dark clad body.

“I’m a God, Lilli, it’s one of many talents I have.” Barry purred, brushing his lips against mine and making me shudder just from the tingles that ran across my lips. My lips parted to question what he was doing here, but before I got the first word out his mouth was back on mine. 

Groaning as fire sparked in the pit of my stomach, I tried to wriggle against his grasp, my mind still protesting against kissing a fragment of Barry. I was confused, disjointed, and needed a moment to clear my head. But he never gave me one, his knee slipping between my legs and pushing them apart as he continued to kiss me senseless. 

My towel disappeared some time in the fray of mind numbing kisses and gentle caresses of his hands. I hardly noticed, I was too busy running my fingers over Barry’s shoulders and back, feeling the muscles beneath his tanned skin and ingraining it into my memory. 

Eventually his lips left mine to press a steamy trail down my neck, landing on my chest with anticipated fervor and excitement. In this moment, no matter how much I wanted to say ‘no, this is wrong’, I couldn’t, so I tried my best to picture that this was all just some crazy, psychedelic dream, and when I woke up tomorrow morning, everything would be back to normal. 

*****

Waking up lying on my stomach with Yardstick pressed up against my side, purring his gruff motor engine off like there was no tomorrow. For a moment I wondered what had dragged me out of the darkness of my dreams when all I felt was a need to go back to sleep.

_Bang. Bang. Bang!_

Yep, that would be it. But who was banging on my door at who knows what in the morning? Groaning out from the pure exhaustion that riddled my body, I moved to go glance at my alarm clock. 

Twelve thirty three PM blinked ominously at me. My eyes bulged and I was instantly trying to scramble out of bed, only to have soreness and pain hit me like you would not believe. Crying out as sharp, pulsating pain radiated from my hips, I flopped back down, fatigue and pain now becoming prominent. 

Gasping from the onslaught of pain and discomfort circulating in my body, my fingers dug into my pillows as my mind tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Dragging my right hand in front of me, my eyes caught sight of my wrist and widened. Red and purple finger marks wrapped around my thin wrists. And that’s when it all came back to me. 

_Bang. Bang. Bang! Bang. Bang. Bang!_

“Lilli! I know you’re in there!” Caitlin called from my front door. “Cisco’s worried about you since you didn’t show up, come on, open the door and show me that you’re okay, and I’ll go away!” 

Letting out a moan of pain, I tried to haul my body for the edge of my bed, my cell phone lying on my nightstand. There was no way I was getting out of this bed by myself, not after last night, my only option was to get my phone. Grunting as more muscles screeched and protested my movements, I shakily stretched out my hand, my fingers trying to land on my phone. 

“Come on Lilli! Your tracker is blinking at me, I know your here and I’m serious about not leaving until you open this door!” 

My hand dropped heavily on the edge of my phone, and with a shaky sigh of relief, my fingers pulled it towards me. Closing my hand around it, I dragged it over to where I was lying and unlocked the screen. Caitlin banged on the door more. 

My finger pressed on the green phone app, pulling up my speed dial contacts, and with shaky reluctance, I pressed my pointer finger down on Caitlin’s number. Switching the phone over to speaker phone, I listened to it ring, hearing Caitlin’s phone ring in return. 

“What? Seriously, Lilli…” 

“Do you have any idea how worried Cisco and I have been?” Caitlin demanded through my phone. Well at least someone cared that I hadn’t showed up…

“Cait, is anyone with you?” I asked, wincing at how raw my throat felt at the moment. 

“Lilli?” Groaning as I tried to shift my aching body closer to the edge of the bed. 

“Is anyone with you, or did you come alone?” I asked, repeating my question as Yardstick got to his three feet and meowed at me, bumping his head against my shoulder. 

“I came alone, did something happen last night Lilli?” 

“Savitar stopped by last night and we— God Cait, I don’t know what to do with myself… I couldn’t say no…”

“Lilli what did he do? Let me in, now.” 

“Key’s under the birdhouse,” I mumbled, pressing my cheek against my pillow. “Savitar— he’s not who you think he is…” 

Caitlin said on the line while she retrieved the key and unlocked my door. I heard her heels hurrying across my hardwood, and Yardstick perking up at the sounds, went to investigate.

“Lilli?” Caitlin asked, my door creaking open. “Oh my god…” 

“How bad do I look?” I asked, my voice muffled by my pillow. “Cause moving around hurts too much.”

“Like BDSM gone out of control,” Caitlin answered before stepping into view, her eyes filled with worry. “Lilli what happened? Did Savitar—“

“It’s Barry, Savitar is Barry,” I half sobbed, my fingers fisting into the pillows. “And he’s got some sort of weird obsession with my doppelgänger from his time, I— damn it I couldn’t say no even though I knew it was wrong…” 

Caitlin was the only one who knew about my hidden feelings.

“Savitar is Barry?” She gasped as she grabbed my favorite fluffy thrown from the lounge chair tucked in the corner of my room and hurried over. 

“A fragment of him at least,” I panted with a small groan while slowly pulling my body to the side of the bed and sitting up. Caitlin was immediately swinging the fluffy throw around my shoulders. “When I said I wished I could have my own Barry, this isn’t what I meant, he scares me when he gets angry.”

“We’ll figure this out, but first, we need to let the others know.” My eyes went wide and I was shaking my head at her. 

“What? That I let slept with Savitar Barry and this is the result?” I questioned with a shaky voice. “I’d rather die than have Barry find out,”

“They don’t need to know the specifics,” Caitlin said before hurrying over to my dresser. “I’ll just say he went after you, and this is the result. Not technically a lie.” 

“H.R. will see right through that,” I replied, thinking of my adorable, sharp minded best friend. “He might be goofy, but he isn’t an idiot.” 

“Trust me when I say H.R. will do anything you ask,” Caitlin reassured me, handing over a bra and underwear. “Change, I want you in the lab, I don’t trust Savitar not to break something the next time he comes knocking.” 

It was painful, but with Caitlin’s help I managed to get dressed. Wearing a baggy sweatpants, a button up shirt, and a large scarf to hide my neck, Caitlin helped me hobble out to her car and into the passengers seat. 

“What do we do now?” I asked, resting my head on the window and watching as houses turned into taller buildings. 

“We get you somewhere safe, and then we figure out how exactly we are going to take down Savitar.”


	8. Twisted (Savitar)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Twisted:** Juliet Rowe has lived a life constantly fighting for the right to become something more than another number in the system of failed foster children. After silently battling a severe case of brain cancer all by herself, she finally resigns herself to her fate. She will die alone, long before her friends even noticed that she was sick in the first place. Little does Juliet know that a fragment of the man she loves refuses to allow her to succumb silently. A twisted mind will do anything for the man it loves.  
>  **Warnings:** Possible language, _cancer themes and may be disturbing or emotional to some readers_ , angst  
>  **To Note:** Savitar!Barry x OC

I hated the smell of hospitals, the smell of medicine, antiseptic, and that floor cleaner the janitors used to scrub and polish the tile during after hours. It all gave me a headache, or at least made the headache that was a near constant worse. At least I was used to my head hurting.

The elevator I was standing in dinged and looking up from where I had broodily been standing in the corner, I followed the crowed of the tight space. My legs moved on automatic as I slowly made my way out of Central City Memorial Hospital, following the route I had taken hundreds of times this past year. 

Stopping by the sliding glass doors at the exit, I raised the brochure in my hands and stared at the front page of it. Bright smiles stared back at me and with a small snort I crumpled the palliative care brochure in my hand and dropped it in the trash. I think I’d rather die alone at this point than be surrounded by fake smiles and pity thank you very much.

Running a hand through the beautiful red locks of my wig, I pushed open the door and started walking towards the bus station. It was a little chilly out tonight, but I actually found the cold soothing against my against my aching body. It was something I could actually feel for once. 

Stopping at the bus stop, I checked my watched and saw I had about a two minute wait before the next one was due to show up. Rubbing my wrist of the arm that a few hours earlier had three different needles in it, I let out a sigh and looked up at the night sky. Did I feel any sort of guilt from hiding my sickness from my friends this long?

_No, not at all._

Ever since I had been diagnosed with glioblastoma earlier this year, I had made an executive decision to not tell my friends that I had cancer unless they themselves asked why I seemed so tired and sickly all the time. 

Naturally they hadn’t asked about it, and here we are seventh months down the line, no hair, no fight, and no will to continue. It was pointless, both chemotherapy and radiation had failed and I didn’t feel like subjecting myself to an exploratory surgery where my chances of survival where less than one percent. 

I was tired of being poked, prodded, filled with poison, and burned, content to just let nature take its course. 

As an orphan that grew up in the system and managed to get on my feet with a college degree, I was used to fighting, but even I had my limits, and I was at them. You might ask why I never told my friends or got their support, well not to sound like a bitter narcissist, but everything was always about Iris.

Barry had finally stopped beating around the bush and asked her to marry him. I was happy about that and understood that everyone was excited, but you’d think things would settle down after a while. Nope. People still flocked and fanned over Iris, and then this silver thing started terrorizing Barry and it’s target? You guessed it, Iris. I was simply done with hearing all about Iris. 

Call me mean or selfish, I really don’t care anymore. Cancer sucked and I felt too shitty to deal with ‘Iris this’ and ‘Iris that’. Now add onto the fact that I was hopelessly in love with Barry and had been since I met him through social services, I felt like hitting my already hurting head against a concrete wall. Repeatedly. 

My phone in my coat pocket started ringing. Glancing down at the pocket, I fished my phone out and looked at the screen. Caitlin was calling, at least she seemed a little more attentive on the whole ‘I have cancer and I’m waiting for you to pick up on the fact that I’m sick’ wagon. 

“Hey Cait,” I greeted as I held my phone to my ear. 

“Juliet, hi, do you mind doing something for me?” Caitlin asked as a bus pulled up to the stop. I rolled my eyes tiredly and filed onto the bus, flashing my bus pass as I did so. 

“Sure, what do you need?” 

“Can you run by Barry’s lab and pick up a folder on his desk? It’s blue and has a bunch of information I need right now.” Caitlin asked as I found a seat and slowly dropped my body onto the hard chair. 

“And why can’t the one that’s faster than me go get it? It’s his lab…” I huffed while leaning my head against the window.

“Iris wanted to go on a date with Barry to get away from the stress of Savitar,” Caitlin explained and I swore my yees rolled so far back in my head I caught a glimpse of my brain. 

“Fine, fine,” I sighed out, knowing that at least it would give Barry a chance to have a break from worrying. “But you owe me a latte, Snow.” 

“I’ll buy you an extra large one,” Caitlin promised, sounding greatly relieved. “Call me if you can’t find it, knowing Barry his desk is a mess…” 

Ending the call, I tucked my phone away and counted the passing streets before the bus reached the stop nearest the Central City Precinct. When the stop did come up, I moved my tired body from the seat and exited the bus. 

Walking up the steps to the precinct, I waved to the night officer at the front desk before heading to the elevator. Normally I would have taken the stairs, but todays decision had left me feeling both physically and emotionally tired. 

It was a short ride to Barry’s lab and the moment I stepped foot int he indicated, my headache upgraded to a migraine. There were papers and experiments lying everywhere, not hint of orderliness what so ever. 

“How is it you still have a job when you are this messy Barry,” I sighed as I headed for the desk, hoping that the magical blue folder would be right there on top. It wasn’t. Sitting down in Barry’s desk chair, I started rifling through stacks of papers and manila folders, looking for the magical color. 

No, no, no, and no. The no’s went on as I went stack to stack, wondering how I turned into Team Flash’s errand girl. I tossed the latest not blue, folder back on the desk and leaned back in the seat with an exhausted sigh. I just wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep. Rotating my phone in my hands, I blinked at the ceiling over head and wondered how I drew such a short stick in my life? I just had back luck every corner I turned. 

Running a hand through my wig once more, I lurched to an upright position and stiffly got to my feet. Giving the desk another contemplative look, if not disgusted, I barely noticed when someone walked into the lab. Catching them out of the corner of my eye, I looked up to see Barry standing in the shadows of the doorway. 

“Barry?” I questioned, cocking my head to the side in confusion. “I thought you were out with Iris?”

“Juliet,” Barry said faintly, my eyebrows furrowed at the tone in his voice. 

“Barry is everything okay? Did you and Iris have another fight again?” I questioned him while taking a few steps forward.

“No, no, everything is fine now,” Barry responded, his voice sounding lighter. “I was just not expecting to run into you here.”

I let out a small laugh and gestured to his messy desk. 

“Picking up a file for Caitlin believe it or not,” I answered him. “But seriously, your desk is a pig stye. Clean it up will you?” 

“Yeah, I’ll remind myself to do that,” He agreed with a light chuckle of his own. “How are you holding up with everyone’s attention on Iris?” 

“It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before,” I responded honestly. “I’m used to playing on the side lines, but don’t worry, I can take care of myself. Pretty soon my stresses of life will be far, far away.”

“Planning on going on vacation?” Barry countered, the corner of his mouth that I could see curving upwards. 

“Something like that,” I answered before letting out a slow breath. “I hate to pester you with questions about this, but do you have any news on that speedster that is apparently a fragment of you from the future… or whatever that means, it still makes my head spin…” 

“Nothing particularly interesting, I wouldn’t think about it too much.” Barry told me gently. “Everything is going to plan.” 

“That’s good,” I responded as my phone started playing Caitlin’s ringtone. “Sorry, let me get this…” I accepted the call and held my phone up to my ear. “Hey, I couldn’t—“

“Where are you!?” Caitlin demanded, completely cutting me off.

“I’m at the lab, you still want that blue folder? Because the lab is a mess and I can’t find it…” I said dryly. “And it might be a lost cause without help…”

“Listen to me very carefully, Juliet,” Caitlin started, the tone of her voice sending chills down my spine. 

“Cait, what’s going on? You’re scaring me.” 

“You need to get yourself somewhere safe, or better yet come to the lab. Savitar made another appearance and Cisco and I are pretty sure that he isn’t above going after one of us to get what he wants.” I blinked at the knowledge before frowning and glancing at Barry who still sulked in the shadows. 

“Well you don’t need to worry about me, Caitlin, I’m still in the lab and Barry’s here. Pretty sure I’m safe.” I told her while rolling my eyes, now they care about my safety? Ridiculous. 

“Barry’s what?” Caitlin questioned, clearly distressed by my words. “Juliet, Barry is with Iris and they are both back here at the lab… oh my God Juliet get out of there! That’s not—“

I was already turning to look at Barry, or the fragment of Barry, as Caitlin promptly told me to get the hell out of there. My eyes grew wide as Barry sauntered into the low light, revealing his half scarred face and milky white eye. 

“Cait, I’m going to have to call you back,” I whispered into my phone before ending the call, not waiting to hear her answer. My hand shook slightly as I lowered my phone to my side. “What do you want?” 

“Initially just to scope things out,” Barry responded as he continued to step forwards, running his fingers over one of the work tables. “In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting you to be here, Juliet, but your presence isn’t a disruption. Far from it actually.”

Watching him prowl towards me was slightly disturbing because he was so much like Barry, yet he had that little ooze of darkness simmering behind his green eye. 

“If you want to use me to get to Iris, it’s pointless at this point in time. I’ll be dead long before any of them think of rescuing me.” His green eye filled with pity a second later he was stepping up to me, his hands taking my sunken in cheeks.

“They don’t know just how much you have suffered these past few months, do they.” Barry stated, instantly zeroing in on the problem I fought so hard to keep hidden. My lip trembled even as I fought with what little strength I had left in my body to keep a straight face. “You’ve been left to struggle for the right to live all by yourself.” 

“I chose not to tell them,” I said in an attempt to defend my friends. 

“They should have noticed,” He countered, his eyes washing over my frail body. “You barely look like a shell of who you used to be, Juliet. What kind of friends don’t notice that?” 

This was the first time anyone other than those I saw in the hospital had shown me concern and care, and he was supposed to be the enemy. My eyes burned and tears collected at the edges of my lashes. Sniffing I wiped my eyes. 

“Friends that are concerned about another, they’re busy that’s all.” I answered weakly. Barry snorted, his lip curling up in distaste as he brushed the red locks out of my face. 

“Iris isn’t dead or dying, you are.” He pointed out while wiping a tear that managed to cut loose with his thumb. “And you deserve so much more.” 

“Why do you care?” He was saved from answering by the arrival of one panicked and angry Barry Allen, my Barry Allen. He crashed into the lab, sliding on his feet as he came to a stop. 

“Let Juliet go!” Barry commanded as Savitar Barry maneuvered our bodies away from the slightly out of breath and fuming Barry. “She isn’t a part of this!” 

“On the contrary,” Savitar Barry spoke out, his hands moving to hold my trembling and exhausted body against his black covered chest. “She is just as much a part of this as your precious Iris. In fact—”

I dug my fingernails into his chest, trying to subtly tell him to not go spilling my big secret to Barry. Savitar Barry cut off his words and looked down into my eyes. I gave him a pleading look and shook my head ever so slightly. 

“She is more important.” Savitar Barry finished, looking down at me with such compassion I thought I was going to burst into tears right there. He leaned down so our noses brushed against each other, my breath caught in my throat. “Stay strong, Juliet, I will make things right soon enough.” 

And then he was gone, leaving me teetering in place, my heart pounding in my chest. Barry was at my side in a flash, grabbing my arms and looking me over. 

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you? What did he want?” Barry asked in rapid succession, his eyes running everywhere. 

“What?” I asked, blinking at him in confusion. “Why would he hurt me?” 

“He’s Savitar, Jules, he’ll go after anyone I care about. Hurt them you hurt me.” I softly snorted at the irony before shaking my head. 

“I’m fine, and if he wanted to hurt you, he wouldn’t go after me.” Barry made a sound of confusion as I started walking back over to his desk, determined to find that damn blue folder. 

“What? Jules why would you say that? We’ve been best friends since we met in the system, if anything happened to you I don’t know what I would do.” I paused while shuffling more folders. Well at least he still cared, but it was a little too late for that.

“Have you seen a blue folder around?” I asked, switching topics. “Caitlin needs it and I can’t find it in your mess.” 

There was a rush of wind and papers went flying, a second later Barry was standing in front of me, holding the blue folder while looking at me with a frown. 

“Here it is, but Juliet, we need talk.” I raised a questioning eyebrow as I took the folder and started walking my exhausted body back towards the elevator. 

“That’s nice, can we do that after I have a nap? I have a headache and it’s been a really long day.” I said as Barry scrambled to catch up to me. 

“Come on,” Barry said before carefully picking me up in his arms. “You can nap at the lab, I don’t trust Savitar not to go after you again.” 

I didn’t have time to tell him once again, that Savitar had no interest in killing me. Barry was zipping off to the lab. I squeezed my eyes shut as my stomach rolled and the air flew around my face. Thank God my wig didn’t come off or I would have a lot of questions to answer for. 

Just as soon as Barry had taken off, he came to a stop in the lab lounge. I put a hand over my mouth while my stomach tried to rebel and forced myself to not throw up the apple juice and crackers I had managed to get down earlier. 

“A little warning next time,” I moaned as I leaned my head against the nearest wall. “You know I hate the feeling.”

“Sorry,” Barry answered meekly before waving the blue folder. “I’m going to go drop this off to Caitlin, and yeah, I agree that you should probably take a nap, you look like you are going to keel over at any moment.” 

I waved in response and heard his footsteps fade down the hallway. It took probably a good five minutes of me focusing on not tossing my cookies before I carefully made my way over to the couch and laid down. My head was pounding, the pressure inside it wanting release but having no where to go. 

Shifting on my side so I was facing outwards, I grabbed one of the pillows and fluffed it up before sliding it underneath my head. The pillow provided some buffer for my head, but it didn’t take away the pain. Reaching down for the bag on the floor, I fished out my pain medication and popped a pill out. 

This was my prescription I used for pain control and to help me sleep, and right now that was exactly what I needed. Swallowing the pill with water from my water bottle, I laid back down and closed my eyes, silently hoping that I wouldn’t have to wake up to pain and misery again. 

*****

It was chaos when I woke up. My headache was still nearly a migraine, my mouth felt like cotton, my vision blurred every so often, and I still felt sick to my stomach. And they were yelling so loud I could hear them in the cortex. Shifting myself to a sitting position, I waited out the dizziness that hit me before trying to stand to my feet. 

Wobbling slightly as I walked, I kept my hand on the concrete walls as I slowly made my way to the cortex and to the shouting. Upon entering the room, I thought I was seeing double for a few seconds before I realized that Savitar Barry was standing in the room. Barry who had been shouting at Savitar saw me standing in the doorway, using the doorframe for balance. 

“Did we wake you up?” Barry asked as heads turned my way. I gave a nonchalant shrug. 

“You weren’t exactly being quiet, what’s up?” Barry gestured to his darker counterpart who was studying me with his arms crossed. 

“Savitar showed up, wants to talk. We don’t, end of story and sorry for waking you up.” Barry explained simply as I rubbed my sunken in cheek, still feeling the sleepy affects of my meds. 

“Can you at least use you inside voices? We’re all adults here.” I sighed out tiredly. 

“Well we would if evil Barry here wasn’t trying to kill Iris,” Cisco muttered, shooting a dirty look at Savitar Barry. My eyes flickered to him and soaked in his dark look. Black jeans, black shirt, black jacket, it all looked surprisingly good on him. 

“What _are_ you doing here?” I questioned him, my thinned eyebrow arching in question. 

“I’m here trying to follow through with a less violent plan,” Savitar Barry answered eloquently, stuffing his hands sin his pockets and taking a few steps forward. “But your friends here aren’t interested in talking.” 

I turned my gaze to my friends, who were all still scowling at Savitar Barry. 

“Why aren’t you at least trying to talk things through?” I asked them, my eyes searching each other their eyes individually. “Clearly he’s trying to play nice.” 

“He wants to kill Iris!” Barry blurted out, waving his hand at this dark counterpart as Cisco nodded in agreement. 

“I’m not negotiating with a would be murderer.” Cisco echoed in agreement. I let out an impatient huff as an alarm started going off. 

“The pipeline,” Caitlin muttered before hurrying off, Cisco at her heels. Barry looked like he wanted to follow, but was eyeing Savitar like he expected him to lash out the moment he left. 

“Barry, go,” I spoke up. “He’s not going to do anything, he has no reason to.”

Barry still looked conflicted, but emergency won out as usual, he gave Savitar Barry a hard look. 

“One hair on her head out of place, you answer to me,” Barry snapped before darting out the room in a rush of air. I brushed the red hair of my wig out of my face and tucked it behind my ear. 

“I didn’t think you’d show your face around here,” I murmured quietly, my eyes looking up to Savitar Barry’s single green eye. “What are you doing here?” 

“Curiosity, and one last hope that your friends would help me rather than get in my way, but oh well, they’ve made their choice.” Barry answered as he started walking over to me. “But I’m concerned at how oblivious your so called friends are to your plight, even Dr. Snow should have picked up on your current state by now.” 

“You’re still going on about that?” I questioned him. “I already told you, I don’t want them knowing.” 

“Why not?” He asked as he reached up and took a chunk of the red hair, allowing the tendrils to run through his fingers. I bit my lip and turned my eyes away, struggling to come up with a response. 

“Because— because I don’t want them to know, if they haven’t noticed by now, then obviously they’re really busy.” I told him firmly, rubbing my pounding forehead. 

“Too busy to notice that their friend is dying?” Barry snorted crossing his arms. “I wouldn’t call them your friends, Juliet, real friends notice things like this.”

I was too annoyed to come up with a response to fire back at him, stewing in my own thoughts while the lurking migraine slowly crept forward. 

“Why do you care so much?” I sighed out. “Especially for a dead woman, it seems pointless to me.”

“You are the only thing that has ever mattered in my life,” Barry answered, I blinked at him completely taken aback by his words. 

“What do you mean by that?” I asked softly, chewing my lip slightly while wringing my fingers together nervously. “Like as a friend? Because Barry and I used to be quite close, we met in the system.” 

“I think you know exactly what I mean.” 

“Okay, I do, but I gave up on that idea a long time ago, Barry only has eyes for Iris. It’s always been Iris, so how could you possibly—“ I cut off when he took my chin and brushed his thumb over my lips, affectively silencing me. 

“I’m not him, Juliet,” He growled softly in my face. “He failed to realize what was in front of him, I didn’t, and I won’t…”

*****

“I’m not asking for you to do anything,” Juliet said sternly, choosing to ignore just how close Barry had their faces. “Besides, I— I’m tired of being sick, feeling like crap, not remembering how I used to feel without a constant headache and pressure. I’m done with it, and pretty soon I won’t have to deal with that anymore.” 

“You already given up, haven’t you,” Barry murmured as he further ran his fingers along Juliet's gaunt and sickly looking face. “Why has someone as strong as you are, simply chosen to give up?”

“We all break at some point,” Juliet answered in a strained voice like she was trying to fight off tears. “I’m tired Barry, I— I’m just so tired.”

Barry had never seen such a defeated look on Juliet Rowe’s face, she had always been the picture of fight. Never one to give up or give in. Her hollow eyes flickered a few more times before she swayed where she stood. Barry’s hands shot out to steady her. 

“Juliet maybe you should sit down,” Barry said as he tried to direct her towards the nearest chair. She stumbled, practically face planting into his chest. Her hand went up and stopped her face from fully smashing against him. She paused, shaking slightly. “Juliet?” 

Barry gently grabbed the hand that reached up to cover her face and pulled it away, revealing fresh blood coating her slender fingers. 

“Shit, Jules,” Barry breathed, dropping her wrist and taking her chin, forcing her to look up at him. Juliet’s eyes were glassy and unfocused and a steady stream of blood was leaking from both nostrils. “Jules, snap out of it, come on,”

Barry tried to pinch her septum to halt the bleeding since Juliet seemed to be stuck in a trance, but the moment he released her chin to do so her legs folded beneath her. Using his speed force, Barry caught Juliet before she hit the floor and watched as her entire body started to convulse and shake. Quickly rolling Juliet onto her side, Barry kneeled down next to her and found himself stuck in a helpless situation. 

“Caitlin!” He yelled in the direction that she and the others had disappeared in. Growling at the situation, Barry looked down at the convulsing woman, watching as blood smeared her face and dripped to the floor. 

The real Barry was the first to arrive, sliding on the floor slight and taking in the blood picture of what was happening in front of him. 

“Jules,” He breathed out before dropping to his knees on the opposite side of Juliet and glaring at his fragment counterpart. “What did you do!?” 

“What you didn’t do!” Fragment Barry snapped back. “She is sick and has been for the last year and yet none of you have had the brain to actually notice!” 

They both looked back down at the jerking woman, not knowing what to do, they didn’t have to stare long because Caitlin was quickly running into the room.

“What did you do!?” Caitlin exclaimed, skidding to a stop on her heels and crouching down as Cisco scurried behind her. 

“Fix her!” Both Barry’s snapped, Caitlin shot them a look before turning to Cisco.

“Go get the med lab ready,” She ordered, her mind quickly trying to diagnose what was currently ailing their red headed friend. “We need to find out what is causing this seizure.” 

“I could tell you that,” Fragment Barry snorted, his nose curling in disgust. Three sets of eyes landed on him and with another snort, he reached over and carefully plucked the red wig from Juliet’s head. Mouths dropped open when their eyes saw the patchy, almost barren scalp of a woman obviously undergoing chemo. “Brain cancer, glioblastoma to be precise.” Fragment Barry continued snarkily. 

“We can argue later, med lab, now,” Caitlin said as the convulsions lessened and Juliet moaned in pain. “In the mean time, you tell me everything you know.” 

*****

That acrid sterile smell hit me again, making my pounding headache hurt more. I tried moving, to curl onto my side and squeeze into a small ball, but whatever was covering me had my body pinned down so I couldn’t even more an inch. Letting out a little grunt, I tried to force my eyes open. 

Managing to do that, I was greeted by the ceiling of the medical. What was I doing here? I didn’t have to think long because my head was on the chilly side and I had long since learned what hospital blankets felt like. Taking a shaky breath, I tilted my head to the right to see a blurry Caitlin talking with two Barry’s. 

Coughing lightly I felt someone take my hand shortly before H.R.’s cheery face appeared, or not so cheery, he had a grim look for once. 

“H.R.?” I croaked out, wincing at how raspy my voice sounded. H.R. patted my hand and gave me a small smile. 

“You scared everyone, do you know that?” H.R. asked, holding my cold hand against his warm cheek. “Barry’s fragment explained that you have glioblastoma.”

“I guess the secrets out,” I said softly, slowly getting more feeling back in my body. “Please tell me that they aren’t trying to do something stupid.” 

“They are your friends, Juliet, of course they are trying to help you.” I snorted, which ended coming out as a wheeze that wracked my body with tremors. 

“Someone needs to remind Caitlin of the term ‘terminal’. I’m dying H.R., and I’ve had several months to get used to the idea. I’ve got a couple of weeks at most, no point in trying to extend my pain.” 

“Will you at least let them try?” He asked as Caitlin and the two Barry’s hurried over. My silence and pressed lips was all the answer H.R. needed. He sighed and nodded before patting my hand one last time and letting Caitlin get a better look at me. She shined a pen light into my sensitive eyes with a small tut. 

“You’re eyes are still slow to react, but that’s expected.” She murmured while tucking her pen away. “How are you feeling currently pain wise?” 

“Surprisingly comfortable,” I rasped out, blinking in confusion. Usually I was fighting through some sort of pain, and while I did have a bad headache, everything else was manageable. “You’re work I presume?” 

“I’ve got some of the strongest pain killers known to man pumping into your body along with anti inflammatory meds.” Caitlin responded with a nod before letting out a slow sigh. “Why didn’t you tell us?” 

“You were focused on Iris,” My answer was blunt and I would have shrugged my shoulders if I could have. “She came first, and I understood that. Besides, it’s not like you can do anything about this. I’m terminal, I’ve got days Cait, you think I want to spend them hooked up to all sorts of machines?” 

“I don’t understand how you can just give up like this,” Barry, my Barry, muttered, his fingers playing with the blanket hanging over the edge of the bed. 

“I’m tired Barry,” I responded vaguely. “So tired, sleep sounds so wonderful, no pain, no hurt, peaceful.”

“Maybe that’s what you should do right now, get some sleep,” Caitlin said, brushing her fingers across my shoulder. “I’ll be running some labs, see what I can do. Come on Barry, Juliet needs proper rest.” 

Caitlin walked away, my Barry hesitantly following. Fragment Barry went to follow but paused to look back at me. 

“What is it?” I asked him tiredly. 

“I will save you, Juliet, I promise you.” 

“You can’t fix something like this.” I whispered before relaxing back against the bed and closing my eyes. 

From there it was more tests, more infusions, more pain medication that made my head swim, but this time there were sad faces around me. Red eyes, tired eyes, everything I had wanted to avoid. It was too much to ask to go home and die in peace. 

When Caitlin’s mixture of pain meds stopped treating the pain and pressure in my head, she moved me to a high concentration of morphine. I would have scowled at her but the pressure had become so great that my ocular nerves were being pressed on and my eyesight had disappeared. Dying and blind. 

Well, at least I couldn’t see their distraught faces anymore. Guilt had slowly started seeping into my veins once more, and left me second guessing my decision of keeping them out of the loop. H.R. and Barry spent the most time with me, but with my eyesight gone I had a hard time telling which Barry I was speaking to. I suppose in the end it didn’t really matter. Barry was Barry, and would always be out of my reach. 

I didn’t know what time of day it was, but the med lab was quiet when a burst of air hit my bald head. Letting out a breath, I opened my eyes despite not being able to see and tried to look in the direction that Barry had come in. 

“Barry?” I questioned in a scratchy voice, my head not having the strength to look up. Cool metal touched my skin shortly before I felt metal fingers undoing the blood pressure cuff on my arm and pulling the various patches stuck to my skin. “What are you doing?” 

“Keeping my promise,” The deep voice of Savitar Barry spoke as more wires were disconnected and alarms started to ring in the room. Promise? What promise? It took my brain way to long to realize what he meant, and by that time my limp body was being lifted off the gurney, I could hear shouts from Caitlin and Cisco. 

Lying listless in Savitar Barry’s cold arms, I felt my half numb limbs swing around as I was gathered against his chest. 

“Wait!”

“Don’t!” 

“Barry!”

Those were the last words I heard from my friends before a rush of air hit me and I knew Savitar Barry was running off with me. That rush of air, a feeling that actually managed to make me feel somewhat alive after all these months, only lasted for a few seconds before I was being lowered once again. 

My unseeing eyes blinked up at nothing while the sounds of Barry slipping free from his suit greeted my ears. Moments later, the arm with the midlines in it was being lifted, I could faintly feel the midline in my forearm being handled. 

“Barry,” I whispered out, my heart trying to beat fast in my chest. “Barry what are you doing?” 

“This will heal you, Juliet.” I heard him reply softly before feeling something cool entering my veins. My arm burned, the feeling quickly spreading throughout my body. Gasping on air, I could feel my body trying to twitch and convulse. “It will be over soon.”

The burning sensation finally reached my heart and with a last few gasping breaths, grogginess took over and I went completely slack. 

*****

I woke up feeling refreshed and light as a feather. Blinking my eyes open, I took in a deep breath and reveled in the wonder of actually being able to see once more. Holding up my hands in front of me, I looked at my fingers. I didn’t have the hands of a cancer patient.

Stretching my arms out in front of me, I looked at the places where I had bruises and scabs from where needles had pierced my skin over and over again. Nothing. Closing my fingers into fists, a slipped my legs over the side of the surface I was laying on and stood up. 

No nausea, no dizziness, nothing. Looking down at my body, I expected to see baggy clothing, translucent skin, over all a very sickly body. What I saw was a very fit body, a flat stomach with a hint of abs peaking through beneath the bra I wore, and no evidence of malnutrition. 

Letting out a heavy breath, I tentatively reached up and ran a hand over my scalp. Rather than brushing over mostly bald skin, my fingers met soft short hair that was lying flat on my scalp. What was going on?

Taking a step forwards, my eyes darted around for a mirror, something I could use to verify my reflection of a body I did not recognize. I found a window that was boarded up on the other side and could faintly see my reflection. I had a full head of short red hair, something I had lacked for a very long time. 

Running my fingers through my short locks once more, I looked around, trying to make heads or tails of what was going on. A deep rooted hatred for Barry Allen and Iris West filled my mind and had my fists clenching. Deep breaths, Juliet, you can hate on them later.

Feeling a buzzing sensation coming from my right, I whirled around and brought back my arm in a threatening punch. In slow motion flashes of red lightning appeared and Barry ran into the room at a normal pace. He skidded to a stop in front of me as my sharp green eyes scanned him.

A grey murky eye and a green one stared back at me. My fist stayed raised for only a few seconds as my brain quickly registered who was standing in front of me. My Barry. My Savitar. My Savior. 

“Barry?” I breathed out my head quickly equating that this Barry Allen, the one with the scars and the speed, was my savior. I took one step and shot forwards at an unnatural speed, yellow lightning of my own sparking up. Slamming into Barry at high speed, I wrapped my arms around his neck while he caught my body and held me against his chest. 

“I told you I would keep my promise,” Barry said in my ear as he hugged me just as tightly as I was hugging him. Pulling back, I took his face in my hands and stared into his working eye. 

“They’re trying to destroy you Barry,” I told him. “They want you gone, they want you to disappear.” 

“Do you?” Barry countered, keeping his arms locked around my back. A dark look passed through my eyes. 

“Never,” I growled lightly. “You are the only thing that matters to me, Barry. You. I cannot live without you. I love you, and I will not stop until your future is secured.” 

Barry’s lips slowly curved into a smirk as he reached up and brushed his hand over my short strands. 

“I know you won’t, and babe, can I tell you that you look hot with short hair?” I giggled as him before slowly leaning down and pressing my lips against his. Barry was eager to respond, spinning around and pressing my back against a nearby wall. Tugging on his lips with my teeth, I smirked as I pulled out a groan from him. 

“Can I tell you that you that you look hot in black?” I countered, wrapping my legs around his waist and brushing my fingers through his hair. 

“You and I are gonna rule the world, Jules, and nothing will stand in our way.” I curled a finger underneath his chin, my smirk widening. 

“You just leave that West girl to me then, it’s been a long time coming.”


	9. Waiting on Superman (HR Wells)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Waiting for Superman:** Hana Carter has never had much luck with finding a long lasting boyfriend, or a man that loves her for her goofy self. Cue H.R. Wells, best friend, coffee lover, partner in crime, and one hundred percent in love with his best friend from Earth Prime. It’s Hana’s birthday, will her Superman finally sweep her off her feet?  
>  **Warnings:** Explicit scenes 18+ only (use protection kiddos, pls), always respect your partner (Consent is key), H.R.’s goofiness, hopefully fluff  
>  **To Note:** Best friends to lovers trope (cheesy but I love this omg), H.R. Wells x reader

“Okay, it’s Hana’s thirty second birthday party, and it needs to be rocking.” Cisco said as he bit into a twizlers. “That means we go all out, and we are definitely going take her somewhere… what’s that nightclub that just opened called again?” 

“Delirium I think,” Barry responded from where he sat. Iris nodded in agreement from where she was perched on the armrest of the couch Barry was sitting on. 

“So we all agree on partying hard at Delirium for Hana’s birthday, great.” Caitlin said before writing something down on her pad. I raised my hand up from where I was lounging against H.R., half on him as he played around with an advanced puzzle I had given him last week. 

“Question!” I announced as I sat up slightly, H.R.’s hat sliding on my head a little, partially covering my eyes. My friends looked at me as I adjusted the hat so my eyes weren’t covered. “Does Hana get any say in this? Or is she like, totally out of this conversation and birthday planning…”

“We already told you Hana, you get no say in this kick ass party,” Cisco said, spinning around in his chair. “Besides, don’t you like dancing?” 

“Well…yeah.” I answered, shrugging my shoulders against H.R.’s side. “But it’s my party, isn’t it? Can’t I at least pick out something?” 

“Sure, what kind of cake do you want?” Iris asked with a smirk. I shot her a look before huffing and raising the book in my lap to cover my face. 

“Dark chocolate expresso…” I mumbled while sulking in my seat. H.R. perked up at the mention of expresso and tilted his hat back on my head with his hand to look down at my face. Leaning my head back I looked up at him, noticing the excited look on his face. 

“Dark chocolate… expresso… cake?” He asked, his lips in a broad, bright smile. I beamed back up at him, nodding my head vigorously. Of course that made his hat fall back into my face, forcing me to push it back once more. 

“It’s sooo good, Iris made me one last year as a trial one, best damn cake in the world and it has coffee in it.” I moaned out wistfully. “You’ll love it, she even does this super fudgey frosting with chocolate and peanut butter, I would sell my soul for that cake I tell you.” 

H.R. grinned down at me before looking at Iris and nodding his head in excitement. 

“I agree with Hana, you should definitely make a dark chocolate expresso cake.” H.R. said, his dimples showing and his eyes sparkling. Reaching up, I poked his dimples with a smile and a giggle before returning my eyes to my book. 

“Well I already planned on making one but okay,” Iris said and I saw her flourish her hand out of the corner of my eyes. “What color icing do you want this year?” 

“Blue,” I responded, not bothering to look up from the book I was trying to read. All this conversation was making it hard to actually keep track of what I was reading. 

“Blue?” Cisco echoed. “But isn’t your favorite color silver?”

“I’m allowed to change my color favorites, Cisco.” I grumbled at him. “My favorite color is now blue.” 

“A little late on the bandwagon my friend.” H.R. chirped as he pulled out a piece of the puzzle and scratched his head in confusion at it. 

“Well excuse me,” Cisco huffed at H.R. while my eyes flickered to him, my eyebrow shooting up. “We can’t all be Hana’s best friend.” 

“You sound like a jealous bitch, Cisco.” I muttered at him. 

“Well maybe that’s because I am a jealous bitch!” He snapped at me, waving a hand at H.R. “I was your best friend until this Wells interloper came barging in and replaced me!” 

H.R. and I looked at each other for a few seconds before shrugging at each other and going back to what we were doing. 

“See what I mean?” Cisco whined. “I’ve been replaced!” 

“We can see that Cisco.” 

*****

After everyone else had gone off to plan the party, excluding me on purpose, I stayed snuggled up next to H.R. who had long since given up on the puzzle in favor of playing with my hair and drumming on his legs. 

“So if my after party is at a club, I think that means I need to go dress shopping because I have zero clothing items in my closet that would be club appropriate.” I mused as I slowly closed my book.

“Ooh, shopping!” H.R. chimed, beaming down at me. “Does this mean we can color coordinate? What dress color are you going to get?”

“Hmm, I think Caitlin and Iris already have a few in mind, so I’m not entirely sure on the color, but I’ll text you as soon as I know.” I responded as I stared up into his face. He really was handsome when he smiled, even mores when his dimples poked out. “Sooo, how goes your lastest novel? You haven’t told me anything about it…” 

H.R.’s eyes sparkled down at me. 

“Well I’d tell you, but it’s supposed to be a surprise, so…” He booped me on the nose. “Not telling you anything!” 

Wrinkling my nose, I started whining like the pitiful child I sometimes was. 

“H.R…. Come on! At least tell me what the main characters are like!” I said reaching up and grabbing his face, pulling it so his face was hovering over mine. “Please?” I bat my eyelashes for added affect. 

His grin down at me told me that he was not going to tell me a thing, which I huffed at him for, pouting in return. His blue eyes crinkled at the edges in a soft look as he reached down and brushed his fingers along my face, and just for a second, I thought about what it would be like to kiss H.R. Wells. 

Nope. Not going there, and I am most certainly not going to ruin our relationship over such thoughts because his friendship meant more to me than any possible romantic thoughts that floated through my mind. H.R. leaned down and planted a kiss on my forehead. 

“Speaking of my book, I gotta run… gotta get some java and start working on it again.” He said, suddenly back into his usual cheerful self. I smiled in return, not commenting on his sudden change as I rolled to my right, releasing him to get up and get his coffee. “Don’t forget to text me the color of your dress!” 

“I won’t!” I replied as I leaned my head onto my hand. H.R. beamed again before nabbing his hat off my head and flipping it onto his. 

“I bid you adieu, Miss Carter,” He said, bowing slightly to me with his goofy smile before turning around and walking off, drumming his hands on his pants. My eyes watched him until he disappeared, and then I let out a sigh. 

“Girl, you have got it bad.” Iris spoke up, making me jump in my seat. I turned to see her and Caitlin in the doorway at the other end of the room, and my heart dropped. 

“Is it that obvious?” I whispered, panic creeping into my cells. Iris giggled slightly and shook her head while Caitlin shrugged. 

“Well everyone but H.R. seems to know… so yes, it is.” Caitlin stated before nodding her head at the exit. “Come on, we’ve got dress shopping to do, and knowing Iris, it’s going to take the rest of the day, and possibly tomorrow.”

I groaned and hit myself in the head with my book. This was going to be a long afternoon, I just knew it. 

“Okay, I just have one request.” They both raised their eyebrows at me. I usually was a very laidback, dress comfortable not stylish, type of person. “I want to look pretty.”

Well I was right, Iris had me try on dress after dress, after dress, before finding one that I felt somewhat comfortable in. We ended up finding a light blush colored dress with tons of beading, spaghetti straps, and a bandeau back. 

The dress was short, landing mid to upper thigh, something I had never worn before. Actually, I don’t think anyone at the lab had seen my knees before, so this was going to be interesting and nerve-racking. 

To go with the dress, I had been convinced to buy a pair of strappy pumps with a thicker heel for balance, had laces that would wrap around my ankle and be tied in a bow, and which conveniently matched the color of my dress. Who knew what my hair and makeup was going to be like, but at least I now had something to wear. 

So long after I had been dropped off at my house, ate a quick dinner, showered and changed into my pajamas, I laid on my bed with my phone in hand to text H.R. the color of my dress. 

Hana: So I ended up w/a dress thts blush colrd, hope u got smthg tht matches in tht closet of urs ;)

I sent the message and held my phone on my chest as I waited to hear back from H.R. Moments later, like he had been waiting by his phone since I had left for me to text him, my phone buzzed. Looking at the screen, my lips curved into a small smile. 

**H.R. McDimples:** But of course! Send a picture?

**Hana:** Srry, iris and caitlin have it on lock down no looksies

I got a picture of H.R. pouting at me, which made me giggle as I saved said picture to my phone. 

**Hana:** Adorable face McDimples, but ur not getting anything

**H.R. McDimples:** This is hardly fair Flower, we tell each other everything!

**Hana:** not everything apparently, imma go to bed, tty in the morning, luv u

*****

**Primrose:** not everything apparently, imma go to bed, tty in the morning, luv u

**H.R. Wells:** I love you too.

H.R. stared at the four words in his text box, his finger hovering over the send button, before slowly deleting it and typing in a new response.

**H.R. Wells:** You are the last thing that I think about when I fall asleep and you will be the first that I think of when I awake, may sweet dreams follow you.

Definitely not, way too much. He scrapped that response before trying again. 

**H.R. Wells:** Good night; I'll sleep with you in my heart 

“No, still bad,” H.R. grumbled to himself before dropping his back against his pillows. “Why is this so hard when its real?” Finally he decided to go with his old standby.

**H.R. Wells:** Goodnight, Prim, may your dreams be filled with laughter and light. 

*****

My eyes stared at H.R.’s last text, his old standby he did nearly every night, my heart sighing as it once again failed to get my point across. 

**H.R. McDimples:** Goodnight, Prim, May your dreams be filled with laughter and light. 

For a guy who wrote books and certainly had a way with the written word, I sometimes felt like H.R. was an idiot. My idiot of course, but still an idiot. Sighing for real this time, I set my phone on my nightstand and slipped my body underneath my covers.

*****

Laughing as Barry, Cisco, and H.R. finished singing a lousy yet endearing version of Happy Birthday, I leaned forwards and blew out the thirty two silver candles on the blue cake. How Iris did it, I didn’t know, but she managed to get almost the exact shade of blue I loved best. The color of H.R.’s eyes. 

“So what’d the birthday girl wish for?” Cisco asked as Iris brought out a knife and cut into the dark chocolate expresso cake.

“I can’t tell you that,” I responded, rolling my eyes at him. “If I do it won’t come true!”

“Since that is settled, eat.” Iris said, placing a piece of cake down in front of me. I picked up my fork and cut a section off before shoving it into my mouth. Coffee mixed with dark chocolate and a hind of peanut butter hit my tongue and instantly I was moaning. 

“H.R.!” I groaned out, and instantly the man was at my side. Spearing another piece onto my fork, I grabbed his head and shoved the piece of cake at his face. “Try!”

H.R. opened his mouth and allowed me to shove the bite in. I watched in excitement as his face, too, mirrored the one I had made, his eyes going wide. 

“I believe you have outdone yourself, Miss West.” H.R. said as I withdrew the fork and yanked at H.R.’s sleeve to make him sit down next to me. He did as I implied as everyone in the room rolled their eyes, and Iris cut H.R. a piece.

The cake on H.R. and I’s plate disappeared pretty quickly and soon I was licking the frosting off my fork, wanting to get every last bit.

“That was so worth the calories.” I sighed dramatically while Cisco snorted. 

“Since when do you care about calories?” Cocking my head to the side, I contemplated his question before a smile appeared on my lips. 

“Hmm, true, you do make a point…” I mused, leaning forward to rest my elbow on the table before plopping my chin into my hand. “I won’t say no to any form of cake.”

“Okay cake queen, fire in the hole!” Cisco said before launching the rest of his cake from his fork at me. Squealing with laughter, I ducked to the side, but still ended up getting hit in the cheek by the cake. “Score!” 

“Really?” Caitlin asked, shooting Cisco, who was cackling like a hyena at this point, a disapproving look while I snorted in laughter and rubbed at my face with my napkin. Pulling away, I saw that I had wiped off most of the blue frosting. 

“Did I get it all?” I asked, turning to H.R. He frowned slightly before licking his thumb and wiping at a spot, then he beamed at me his usual bright smile. 

“Now your good!” He said, giving me a thumbs up. I flashed him a smile in return before noticing that it had gone quiet. Looking back at my friends, I saw them all staring. 

“What?” I asked, cocking my head to the side in confusion.

“Oh nothing, nothing,” Barry said, clearing his throat while Cisco nodded and stood up. “Why don’t you open your presents?” 

I blinked before narrowing my eyes. 

“I thought I told you not to get me anything!” I said, giving my friends a look. Iris let out a small laugh before disappearing and reappearing with a pile of presents in her arms. 

“You did, so we compromised, and we all got you a present.” Iris answered as Caitlin nodded in agreement. 

“You’re our friend and you always get us presents on our birthdays, so why aren’t we allowed to do the same?” I huffed at Caitlin and crossed my arms before slumping in my seat. The presents were set down on the table after Barry did a quick clean up of the table. 

I was handed the first box, which was quite light, and after reading the tag, I looked to Cisco who gave me a thumbs up. Breaking into the wrapped box, I removed the lid to find a tablet. 

“You better not have spent money on this,” I said as I picked up the tablet and looked at it. 

“Mhh, more like found one that was in storage, Ciscofied it so you can have access to your manuscripts and work wherever you are.” Cisco answered as I turned the tablet on, a picture of everyone at the lab at the last Christmas we had attended was set as the home screen. I was sitting next to H.R., making a goofy face with him.

“Thank you Cisco.” I said as I looked up to Cisco. 

“I thought you might like it.” Cisco said brightly. “Now go on, open the rest of them!” 

Rolling my eyes, I reached for the next one. Barry got me a set of bookmarks since I always had my nose in a book yet never had a bookmark, Iris, a new blend of coffee beans that I surely would be trying out with H.R., and Caitlin got me a set of books I had been eyeing. 

That left a box wrapped in blue paper with silver ribbon. I recognized H.R.’s work anywhere, and taking extra care not to ruin the paper, I unwrapped the box to reveal the front cover of the book H.R. had been working on the last year. 

I brushed my fingers over the title words, feeling the ink underneath my fingers. The Adventures of Primrose.

“The Adventures of Primrose?” Cisco asked, looking over at the book before glancing at H.R. “That’s your new book? What’s it about?” 

“The life of an extraordinary woman,” H.R. responded as I stared at him, my mind racing from the idea of H.R. putting me in one of his books. “One whom I find I deeply admire.”

My fingers itched to open the book and dive right into the words I had been craving to read for the longest time. But the book was promptly pulled from my hands by Iris and set out of my reach. 

“Hey!” I exclaimed, giving the dark haired woman a glare. “Seriously!?” 

Iris returned my look. 

“You can get the book back after we party at the night club.” Iris straight up told me, making my scowl deepen. H.R. started laughing before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and kissing my cheek. 

“Chin up, Prim, you’ve got all the time in the world to read it later.” He told me with a cheeky smile. Looking up at him, I narrowed my eyes. 

“I’d better,” I gripped at him, crossing my arms. 

*****

“Alright, I’m wearing a dress that shows more skin than my bathing suit, does this mean mission accomplished?” I asked, turning to look at Iris and Caitlin, my hands on my hips. 

“Mmh, you look hot, but we aren’t done with you yet,” Iris said before pointing at the chair in her room. “Sit, it’s time to fix your hair and make up.” 

I obediently sat down in the chair and watched as Iris started brushing out my dirty blonde hair and braiding it in sections. She then criss crossed them over the top of my head, leaving my bangs to frame my face as she pinned them down.

“So let’s talk about that little crush of yours shall we?” Iris said as she moved onto my makeup.

“Wait you want to talk about what now?” I asked, my cheeks going pink as Caitlin snickered and started riffling through a magazine. Iris cocked her head. 

“You and H.R.,” She prompted as she started brushing my face with… well I had no idea what she was currently doing. “You two are so into each other everyone but yourselves can see it. I mean he even wrote a book for you.” 

“Really?” I asked, my eyes darting around. “I mean yeah he calls me Primrose sometimes, but to write an entire book with me as the inspiration, doubtful. He was probably just being nice.” 

“Stubborn and naive.” Caitlin mused from where she sat, she turned a page as I shot her a glare. 

“I’m not naive! I just—“ I stopped short and my shoulders drooped. “I’m just hopelessly in love with my best friend and I don’t know what to do about it.” 

“Have you tried telling him?” Iris asked, holding up a brush. “That usually works.” 

“Well not exactly, I mean yeah, I started saying I love you when we say good night to each other over texting, but he’s never changed any of his responses. He’s his usual Author self.”

“Maybe he feels the same and just doesn’t know how to express it without sounding like he’s obsessed with you? I mean he is a writer, I bet on paper its easy for him to say something when it’s not directed to him or whoever he likes.” Caitlin offered, shrugging her shoulders. I mulled her words over as Iris told me to shut my eyes. 

“Less doom and gloom, Hana, it’s your birthday.” I heard Iris say as she worked on my eyes. “You are supposed to be happy and enjoy your night, dancing until you are flat out drunk and we have to haul you back home.”

“Or preferably H.R. since we both know he’s in love with you too.” Caitlin added, Iris’s hand stilled and my face flammed bright red. Iris shot Caitlin a dirty look while I floundered around for words. 

“He what?” I squeaked out, my cheeks feeling hot and my heart beating fast in my chest. Iris sighed before going back to work. 

“Listen, Hana,” She said gently. “We know that you really like H.R., well we also knows that he really likes you too, the book was kind of obvious… but tonight rather than floundering around in your feelings, try to just have fun with your best friend, okay?” 

Looking at Iris in the mirror I gave her a nod.

*****

Completely glammed up from Iris’s hard work, I was crammed in a taxi with Iris herself and Caitlin as we headed for the nightclub. Iris had gone soft on the makeup, knowing that I wouldn’t want too much, but ended up going with a very bright red lipstick so at least something popped. My hair which was braided into a crown had been sprayed with glitter to shine underneath the lights, a little extra since my dress was already going to work that job with all its crystals, but I wasn’t going to complain. 

Word between our friends was that the boys were already at the bar, and were getting us the first round of drinks so they would be ready when we got there. Truth be told, I was slightly nervous for H.R. to see me like this.

I had cleavage, was showing legs no one had seen before, and my back felt naked. 

But I felt pretty for the first time in my life, and that was okay. This night was about having fun, letting loose, and not getting caught up emotional turmoil. H.R. was my best friend tonight, and any romantic feelings I had for him were going to take a back burner tonight, I was not going to let them get in my way. 

So when we got to the night club, I put on a bright smile and skipped in with Iris on one arm, and Caitlin on the other. Cisco waved us over to where he, Barry, and H.R. stood around a table. As told, the drinks were already on the table. 

My eyes scanned H.R. and found that he had matched his vest perfectly to the color of my dress, and damn… was he wearing a tie? It might be hanging loose, but it sure made him even more handsome than usual. Arriving at the table, Cisco was looking at me with his jaw open, Barry had a gobsmacked look on his face, and H.R. stared at me with unreadable eyes. 

“Hi!” I grinned at them before doing a small pirouette. “How do I look? I asked Iris and Caitlin to make me look pretty.” 

“Well they certainly achieved that look, I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen your knees.” Cisco replied with a wiggle of his eyebrows. “Don’t get scandalous on us Hana.” 

“Knees!” I gasped dramatically, placing the back of my hand on my forehead. “Good heavens I’ve been flashed! Whatever shall I do?”

“Take your first birthday shot, cause its your birthday.” Barry said, pushing the shot towards me. I took the glass that was offered in hand, and the others did the same with the other glasses. 

“Alright,” Cisco said brightly. “To a kick ass night, Hana getting drunk, and then dancing everyone out of the water cause we all suck compared to her.” 

Laughing, we clinked our shot glasses together before shooting back the hard liquor. I wrinkled my nose at the burn, shaking my head to clear it from my mind. 

“Alright, I forgot that they burn.” I announced while setting my glass down on the table. “But less of that, I wanna dance!” 

I grabbed Iris and Caitlin’s hands, dragging them to the group of dancers already on the floor, and submerged us into the fray. We danced for several songs, just being goofy in general, and occasionally heading back to knock back another round of birthday shots. 

By the time I could feel the alcohol in my veins, I was flittering around the dance floor, moving in and out while swaying my body, my mind lost in the music. On my travels around the dance floor, I came across Barry and Iris, Barry his awkward self while Iris laughed at him, Cisco was off somewhere, and H.R. was pulling off some slick moves I was pretty sure was from his Earth.

With a giggle on my lips, I snagged his wrist and pulled him along with me until we had our own space. While grinning up at him, I plucked his hat off his head and set it on mine so it was secured, with that took a few steps back making a ‘come get me’ motion with my fingers as Katy Perry’s Last Friday Night blasted around us. 

With a cheeky grin on his face, he followed me, taking my hands in his and immediately diving into what could only be considered a modified jive. We didn’t have much room, but we made it work.

H.R. spun me around by my hand, our feet moving a million miles an hour. He twisted, spun, and twirled me around, not once faltering in his steps or his grip… and I was loving every second of it. 

He spun around once more, my hands grasped his as I took two steps forward with our bodies pressed against each other, and then two steps back. Somehow his hat stayed on my head the entire time, not once falling in my eyes of completely off. 

By now we had gotten a little room as those around us started staring before getting into it like we were. It was crazy, I was pretty sure I was making heart eyes at H.R., I think he was making heart eyes back at me, and no one gave a shit. 

Nestled against his chest, the song started chanting T.G.I.F.. 

_T.G.I.F.  
T.G.I.F.  
T.G.I.F._

I spun away from him, turning around in place with a flourish of my arm and a breathless smile on my lips. 

_T.G.I.F.  
T.G.I.F.  
T.G.I.F._

We stared at each other momentarily as the song built, and as soon as the saxophone part came on, he yanked on my hand pulling directly into his chest. From there he wrapped his arm around my waist and threw me back into a dip.

The sounds in the club momentarily slowed down as our eyes remained connected the entire time, and for a few moments, it felt it was just H.R. and I. But then the music picked back up and H.R. effortlessly pulled me back up against his chest. 

From there I was content to remain up close, my left hand pressed against his vest and our feet maneuvering around each other on their own. The rest of the song went by as fast as my heart was racing in my chest and when the last line was sung, our lips were only centimeters apart as we breathed heavily from the exertion. 

“Best. Birthday. Ever.” I breathed out, making H.R. grin at me before reaching up and adjusting his hat on my head so it was right again. “Think you can keep up?” 

“For you, I’ll do anything.” H.R. replied as the song Don’t You Want Me, started playing. My lips curved into a devious smirk. 

“You’re going to regret those words, Mr. Wells,” I whispered at him, rather than respond, he just spun us into another dance, this time following the new songs tempo. 

*****

Two hours later, three trips to the bathroom, and five birthday shots combined with a margarita and plenty of water, I was back on the dance floor, H.R. having disappeared some time in the last half an hour, muttering about Cisco and Barry waving him down. 

The song Sexy Bitch was about three quarters of the way through and I was swaying my body to the beat and feeling like exactly what the song claimed, a sexy bitch. Unfortunately, someone decided that they liked what they saw, and couldn’t help but get a little too close to me for my comfort. 

No matter how much I moved away, shimmied myself out of his wayward arms, and just generally avoided him, the bastard just kept appearing. I may be slightly drunk, but I wasn’t that drunk, there was only one man I wanted being up that closer and personal, and it wasn’t him. 

I was about to twist around and smack the shit out of him when I felt his presence completely disappear. Hands appeared on my hips before sliding along and reaching my forearms, from there, H.R.’s fingertips glided across my skin until they found my own and weaved with them. 

Gripping his fingers and enjoying the feeling of our hands once against weaved together, I leaned back into H.R. as the song melted from Sexy Bitch, and jumped into Clarity. My eyes closed as I let myself sink back into H.R.’s hold.

I could allow myself to enjoy this just this once, even if Caitlin and Iris were mistaken. Feeling the material of H.R.’s vest against my back, I couldn’t help but sigh out in contentment as H.R.’s scent filled my mind and intoxicated my senses. 

Lips descended on my shoulder and neck, and started planting a trail of fiery little kisses in a blazing inferno across my already warm and sweaty skin. One of my hands slipped from his grasp and reached up to brush my fingertips along his neck. Every inch I trailed them over felt gloriously warm, strong, and man did I want to bury my face into it like the koala I was sometimes known to be. 

My fingertips reached the shaved part of his hair as his lips started trailing across my jaw. Moaning softly at how good it felt to have his lips on my skin, I sunk my fingernails into his hair and pushed his head further into my skin.

If our love is tragedy why are you my remedy  
If our love's insanity why are you my clarity

“How are you still single?” H.R. asked as he wrapped his arm around my waist, his long arm wrapping all the way around so his hand was grasping my bare side. 

“I’m waiting for my Superman,” I said as I twisted my head until I was looking into his eyes. “But knowing his goofy, adorably handsome self, he probably got lost trying to find a coffee shop or trying to open a push door by pulling it.” 

H.R.’s blue eyes stared into mine before the hand on my waist had me spinning around in his grasp so my chest was pressed against his and the hand I had in his hair was pressing against his shoulder. 

Dislodging his hand from our remaining intertwined ones, H.R. grabbed my chin and pulled it up before bending his head and slanting his lips against mine. I had dreamed about kissing H.R. for weeks, months even. Would his kisses feel soft and caring, or vibrant and energized like his personality? Would I simply melt in place, or would I want drag him back down for more because they were addicting? 

Addicting, simply addicting, and I was one hundred percent sure that even with a million years of kissing him, I would never get enough of him. Parting my lips against his, I practically begged for more as the music switched into a different song.

H.R. answered my begging, swiping his tongue along my lower lip before pulling me further into the kiss and deepening the feeling between us. The taste of birthday shots, along with the margarita I had been drinking and the Negroni H.R. had downed not too long ago. 

The alcohol between the two of us had my head swimming in the clouds as my heart raced in my chest, and I dare I say that I felt like swooning right there in his arms. 

I mean I could, H.R. had a deceptively strong body underneath his clothes and if he wanted, he could totally sweep me off my feet… and I would totally allow it because H.R. had the arms of a god and I wanted to be one they were wrapped around.

Blinking up at H.R., and in a slight daze from the mind numbing kiss he had just pulled me into, all I could do was hold onto him as my lips tingled and my legs shook. In return, H.R. gazed at me with an intense look filled with lust, and just a hint of uncertainty. 

“Hana, forgive me but I couldn’t help myself.” H.R. said, guilt and regret staring to seep into his eyes. “You just look absolutely—“

“Why did you stop?” I asked, cutting him off as I peered up into his face. H.R.’s eyes widened at me as I blinked up at him. “I’ve waited who knows how long to kiss you and you stop?” 

“A thousand apologies, Prim,” H.R. answered, his voice taking on a posh, yet apologetic, tone. “How would you like me to remedy that problem, my flower?” 

“Be my superman?” I asked softly, raising my eyebrow. “I’ve been waiting for someone to sweep me off my feet.”

“With pleasure,” H.R. breathed before doing just as I had asked. My feet were swept off the dance floor and H.R. was soon maneuvering through the throng of sweaty people. With H.R.’s hands on my body, carrying me along as effortlessly as I pictured, I adjusted his hat which was miraculously still on my head. 

Damn did he look insanely handsome, hair ruffled from my fingers, sweat clinging to his skin after hours of dancing in a hot room, and it was taking everything I had not to run my tongue up the side of his neck. 

As much as I wanted to, that would not be appropriate nor would what was running through my mind at the moment be appropriate in this environment. 

H.R. broke free of the dancing crowd, but rather than head back to our table, he started heading for the exit. My smile turned into a grin as I tightened my grip around his neck and snuggled my head into his shoulder. The cool night air was a refreshing change from the stuffy environment of the club, and taking a deep breath, I let out an equally deep sigh as H.R. headed for the taxi pickup. 

“You think you can keep your hands off me long enough to get into a taxi?” H.R. asked as he carefully set me on my feet. I kept my arms around his neck, my fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. 

“Worry about yourself, H.R.,” I cheekily responded before gracefully extracting myself and swiping an arm up. “Taxi!” 

A taxi zipped right over, and opening the back door, I glanced at H.R. with an innocent look on my face. 

“Coming?” H.R. gave me a look I could only describe as steamy before I turned back around and slipped into the taxi, H.R. following me shortly after. While telling the taxi driver the address to my house, I felt H.R.’s hand land on my knee, before slowly trailing upwards. 

Oh, this was how he was going to play thing game, was he? Challenge accepted Wells, challenge accepted. 

When the taxi started moving, I turned my head to look out the window to my left as I reached over and pinched H.R.’s thigh, hard. His muscles twitched underneath my fingers, but naturally the man didn’t remove his hand from my own thigh, and let his fingers glide over the inner portion of my leg.

Biting down on my lower lip as he stroked my skin, I shot H.R. a dirty look and dug my fingers into his thigh in warning. Rather than retreat with his grasp, he gave my own thigh a squeeze before leaning over and pressing a kiss to the corner of my mouth. As short as that kiss was, heat filled my face and pulling back, H.R. had a pleased smirk on his face. 

“Oh my god I hate you so much,” I grumbled underneath my breath as the hand on my leg slipped free and he wove his fingers with mine. His smirk morphed into his signature grin as I huffed at him. “Stop it, I am supposed to be mad at you right now.” 

“We’re best friends, have we ever stayed mad at each other for longer than a minute?” H.R. responded, I growled lowly at him before admitting defeat. 

“Fine, fine, you have a point,” I grumbled before using my free hand to point a finger in his face. “But you need to behave yourself, Mr.” 

“I make no promises,” He cheekily replied with his signature grin. Sighing in utter defeat, I closed my eyes and leaned my head on his shoulder. He was impossible some times, but that was one of the reasons why I loved him. 

The rest of the ride was spent in silence with me resting my head on his shoulder and our hands still entwined. When we reached my house, I paid for the ride and thanked the driver before pulling H.R. out of the taxi and across the front walkway leading to my front door. 

Reaching into my strapless bra, which made H.R. lift any eyebrow, I retrieved my house key which I had stashed there for the night and unlocked the door. Opening the door, I took a step into my house before reaching backwards and grabbing H.R.’s vest, yanking him into my house with me. 

The door slammed shut behind us, bathing our bodies in darkness while my fingers quickly reached back and flicked the locks. At sound of the locks clicking in place, H.R. placed a hand on my waist and spun me around in a circle. My back hit the door and his lips were on mine like a starved man presented with food. 

Seconds later he was sliding his fingers up my forearms, pinning them to the door with heavy thunks. His fingertips glided over my pulse before tantalizing my palms and finally weaving with mine, all the while his mouth worked mine like a true master. For a man who came off as goofy as he did, he sure as hell knew how to kiss the living daylights out of me. 

Hot, fiery, passionate, and mixed with dominance I didn’t expect from him, but was glad to experience. While his mouth gave me whiplash and left me breathless, his body gently rutted up against mine, calling for more than just a steamy making out. 

Moaning and gasping into his mouth, my fingers tightened around his as my chest heaved and I silently begged for the clothing between our bodies to disappear. Just the feeling of his dress pants brushing against my naked legs drove me wild with need, the soft fabric rubbing just right against my skin to cause goosebumps.

“H.R.,” I breathed out against his mouth, my fingers twitching against his as the calloused pads of his fingers drew faint patterns on my palms, causing the most delightful sensations to run down my forearm. “Dress, off, now, now is not the time for teasing,” 

Almost as soon I had spoken my last word, H.R. was spinning me away from the door. He still clasped his hand in mine, but the hand on my back went for the neat bow I tied the bandeau back in. With our feet moving in and out of each other like in a dance, he led me through my house.

Every step I took, every click my heels made on the hardwood, my dress slowly got looser and looser, and when we reached the hallway where my bedroom lie, it completely slid off my body, pooling in a soft heap at my feet. Our noses brushed against each other as H.R. pulled away slightly, his eyes staring down into mine. 

“What?” I asked breathlessly, shifting my free hand to press against his chest. “Afraid to look?”

“More like appreciating the beauty that has remained a constant in my new life.” H.R. replied, abandoning my hand to gently cup my face. “You aren’t something I will ever want to let go.” 

“No one said you had to,” I responded as we tumbled through my bedroom doorway. My hands reached for H.R.’s vest, pushing at the material and practically shoving it off his shoulders. In a whirlwind of limbs and hands, rather than undressing H.R. like I wanted, I found myself lying flat on my bed, H.R. hovering over me while his hands worked his tie loose. 

“H.R.” I whined, wiggling around in his grasp as he tugged his tie completely free. “This is not what I meant!” 

“I am a hands on type of man, Prim,” H.R. said, his eyes peering into mine. “I would like to explore every inch of this magnificent body of yours, uninterrupted.”

My cheeks burned, I knew what he was insinuating. I mean up until now, all of my previous partners had been pretty vanilla, one and done type of thing. I hadn’t experienced anything else. H.R.’s fingers trailed down my cheek.

“But only if you are okay with that, because I would never intentionally make you uncomfortable…” I blinked up at H.R.. 

“I’m not objecting to it, I’ve just never done anything like this.” I admitted, my blush deepening. “And I don’t exactly have a lot of experience in general… but have at it?”

H.R. chuckled at me and my apparent obliviousness to the kinkier side of intimacy before leaning down and planting a kiss on my forehead. 

“You have a lot to learn, Prim,” He mused, his smile broad. “But first you should know that it is you that sets the boundaries, and consent is my number one concern.” 

“Meaning?” I questioned, my innocences clearly showing. 

“Safe word, and boundaries on how far you will let me go.” H.R. purred, running his fingers along my neck. “But since you have zero experience, I’d start out easy with simply denying you the ability to touch me or yourself.” 

My eyes widened. 

“That is completely unfair!” I complained. “Do you know how long I’ve been wanting to run my hands over your muscles!”

H.R. chuckled again. 

“That’s the point, Prim, makes things more pleasurable in the long run, and believe me, it is worth the wait.” I huffed at him, thinking his words over, H.R. would probably know best. 

“Okay, I agree to your rules, how exactly do you stop me from touching you?” I questioned, his grin grew as a devious glint appeared in his eyes. He brandished his loose tie before running his fingers up my forearm and gently brushing my wrists. 

“I get to tie you up!” 

“Oh that is so unfair,” I whispered to myself, grumbling at the idea of being at his mercy and not being able to touch him in return. “But also kinda hot…” 

“So is that a yes? Cause you’ve been torturing me all night in that dress of yours…” My eyebrow popped up. 

“Well you’ve already managed to get my dress off, and I’m not complaining about being practically naked right now… so yeah, have at it H.R., I think at this point we both want something to happen.” 

His goofy grin slid into a smirk that matched the deviousness in his eyes as he wrapped his silk tie around my wrists, and then secured them to my headboard. With my arms secured over my head, H.R. ran his fingers lightly down the inner flesh, teasing my skin with the lightest of touch. A soft groan left my lips at the tantalizing sensation.

“If you want me to stop at any point, Prim,” H.R. murmured, brushing his nose against my neck and teasing me with little nips against my skin. “Just say coffee, or kick me in the face, that works too.” 

“I’m not kicking you in the face, H.R., and do you ever think of anything else other than coffee?” I breathed out, my head twitching slightly as his to breath tormenting my neck. He chuckle against my skin before nipping at my ear with his teeth. 

“I think about you,” He replied huskily, his tongue darting out and flicking across a portion of my jaw in a taunting way. “I think about how beautiful you look when you are so absorbed in a book you don’t even register the chaos around you.” 

My cheeks flushed from his words and teasing, my fingers twitching before curling around the satin fabric of H.R.’s tie. 

“Just how much time have you spent staring at me when I don’t even realize it?” I questioned softly while H.R. trailed his fingers down my sides, his touch almost tickling my skin. His lips curved into a devious grin. 

“Far longer than you’ll ever guess,” H.R. said as he dragged his lips over the curve of my jaw and started pressing open mouthed kisses down my throat at a snails pace, occasionally sucking on the skin. Groaning as his fingertips danced across my stomach in a teasing fashion while his mouth lavished my skin, I couldn’t help but try and bring my hand down to bury them into his hair.

I didn’t get very far, the tie halting my movements almost immediately and giving me a startling wake up call about how tortuous this was going to be. Letting out a small growl, I slumped back against my sheets with a defeated sigh. It was going to be a long night if I ended up with my hands tied the whole time. 

H.R.’s mouth finally landed on my exposed breasts and rather than just dive right in like any other man would probably do, he decided to take his time, brushing his lips across the smooth and velvety skin of my chest. Every time he flicked his tongue across my skin, goosebumps appeared as I twitched a little.

This man knew exactly what he was doing, and I trembled beneath his touch, softly airing the wrought pleasure while trying not to sharply yank on the silk around my wrists and express my irritation with being tied up. 

He took his time, exploring every inch of my chest with his mouth and making sure to drive his point across that he was a hands on man and certainly planned on keeping his word. While I was under his hands and mouth, H.R. voiced whispers of adoration and praise.

When his hot, sinful mouth finally reached my nipples, I couldn’t help the drawn out whine of gluttony. He already had me hooked on his touch and arching my back off the sheets, I pushed my breast further into his exotic grasp. H.R. slid his hands way from where they had been brushing across my waist and gripped the area just underneath my breasts.

He teased and tortured me until I was almost a writhing, begging mess underneath him. With how much attention he was giving to me at the moment, I only hoped that he got something out of this. 

“H.R.,” I moaned as his mouth continued to assault my left nipple, H.R.’s tongue swirling and flicking in ways I never thought could be so pleasurable. “Come on, I need more…” 

H.R. made a point to draw his mouth from my over sensitized nipple with a pop, drawing out another feverish moan from my lips. 

“We go at the pace I want, Prim,” He chided me, leaning down to run his lips cup my neck and jaw. “And right now I want to ravish you until you are a beautifully flushed mess.”

That made me whimper, desire flaring in my body and crackling in my veins. Satin twisted around my wrists, catching my hands from once again reaching for him. Letting out a small growl, I glared into H.R.’s face, loving the dark and intense look on his face. It was one I hadn’t ever seen before, and I was enjoying every bit of this new H.R.. 

“Then do it you meany,” I whined at him before huffing and rotating my shoulders. “I’m waiting.” 

“Just for that I’m going to make you cross eyed and beg for relief,” H.R. responded dangerously. “And you’ll find out that I am not a forgiving man.” 

“Promises, promises,” I whispered back, not knowing exactly what I was getting myself into. 

*****

Crying out yet again, my knees strained against H.R.’s strong hold, wanting to pinch in and trap his head against my clit. If I thought this man was a master with his words, well, he was a master with his hands, and his mouth. 

After torturing me for several minutes by exploring my breasts with his mouth, he had traveled south, leaving me behind a teasing path that had made my legs tremble. When his fingers started tugging on my underwear, I had nearly cried out in relief, glad to finally be getting somewhere.

But I should have known he was planning on upping the pressure and sparks, and nearly bring me to a breaking point. He had sucked, licked, swirled, delved, flicked, and feasted until I was a writhing mess, my legs straining and jerking in his grasp while I gasped for air. 

Not only had he managed to get me to orgasm with his fingers alone, but he had gotten tears to run down my cheeks as I screamed and thrashed beneath him, begging for release. It was an eye opening experience, one I was still wrapped up in.

“I swear to god, Harrison R. Wells, do not make me wait any longer!” I begged as my entire body shook and my fingernails dug into the silk tie holding my body in place. The tightly wound coil of my next orgasm was teetering on the edge of release, burning away in the core of my body. “Haven’t you teased me long enough?” 

He didn’t stop, choosing to increase his tongue lashing and toe curling lapping ten fold to the point where I was practically sobbing for relief. Hearing H.R.’s continual groans of approval and mutual sounds of pleasure only made it harder to hold onto my second orgasm. 

Biting down on my lip, I tried to hold on, I really did, but it was getting to the point where I couldn’t stand the intense buzzing in my veins and blazing heat in my belly. I had to let it out. My entire body stiffened in H.R.’s grasp as overwhelming pleasure briefly over took every cell in my body. Gasping on oxygen, my body finally fell limp back to my bed, my arms and hands going slack, and my legs flopping H.R.’s hands. 

My eyelids fluttering as I struggled to keep my eyes open, a soft groan slipping from my puffy lips. H.R.’s mouth finally left my clit, and while I was blinking lightheadedness away, he pressed his lips against my inner thigh a few times. Bright blue eyes peered down at me as the silk around my wrists disappeared and my arms dropped to the pillows. 

“You are the most divine thing I have ever tasted, Hana,” H.R. whispered in reverence, his fingers brushing against the side of my face. “Even better than coffee.”

“That’s nice,” I moaned back, blinking up at him. “Can I touch you now?” 

“Since you indulged me, of course you can,” H.R. grinned down at me before leaned back and pulling off his shirt, revealing impeccable muscles that looked as if they were carved from the finest marble. Tossing his shirt aside, H.R. started working on his pants while I drooled over his six pack. I had never realized just how fit H.R. was underneath his t-shirts, and boy did I like what I see. 

Caught up in just how magnificent H.R. was, I hadn’t even realize he had shed all of his clothes until he carefully lowered himself onto me and nuzzled his face into my neck. 

“Does this satisfy you, Prim?” He asked, his lips brushing against my already marked up neck. Shivering, I dragged my arms down and slipped them underneath his, planting them on his back. His skin against mine felt glorious, and what I could beneath my fingers felt even better. 

Rather than respond with words, I hugged his body closer to mine, pressing my discolored chest up against his and turning my head so our cheeks were touching. Letting out a sigh of content, I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of his skin against mine for the moment. 

“I want you to know that you are more than just my best friend,” I mumbled into his ear. “I can’t imagine life without you, and I want your face to be the one I wake up to in the morning, I want to drink coffee with you while I read your latest novel, and above all, I want you to be mine, my H.R., my author, my Superman.”

“Do you know why I started calling you Primrose?” H.R. asked, his breath hitting my already hot skin. 

“Because my name is Hana, the Japanese name for flower, and you like Primroses?” I asked, not really knowing the answer since I had never paid much mind to the name. H.R. chuckled at my dubious answer before lifting his head to look into my eyes. 

“The primrose means I can’t live without you, and that’s how I feel about you.” H.R. stated softly, brushing one of his fingers over my chewed up bottom lip. 

“Glad to know that, cause I can’t live without you either,” My reply had his lips curving into a smile. “And I’d really like you to make love to me, Harrison R. Wells.”

“As you wish,” He answered, pressing a kiss to my jaw before drawing back to line up his cock with my soaked and buzzing folds. Biting back a premature moan as H.R. slowly and gently slid into my body, I leaned my head back into the pillows and closed my eyes. He felt better than anything I could have dreamed up. 

When H.R. was finally fully seated in my soft, wet heat, he groaned and brushed his lips back down against my neck. For a moment or two, he stayed still, both of us listening to the sounds of our breathing and the subtle ticking of the analog clock on my dresser. Turning my head, I caught his lips with mine, dragging one of my hands up to his into his hair. 

Spending a few more minutes with our lips locked together, nipping and tugging at each other until my head once again was high in the clouds and passion burned across our skins. Soon enough H.R. was back to kissing my neck and throat, his hips moving against mine in slow, tender thrusts that me dropping my head back with a sated groan and cling further to H.R.. 

A louder sigh passed through my lips while H.R. was busy planting a row of open mouthed kisses along my jaw. It was euphoric being in H.R.’s arms, the strength in them alone reassuring my mind that this was a very safe, and comforting place to be. Wrapping my legs further around his body, my fingers dug further into ruffled hair as I pulled him further into my body, needing to feel every glorious inch he had to offer. 

“H.R.,” I breathed out, making his lips carve against my neck and a rumble of appreciation come from his chest. 

“You are my beautiful flower,” He purred with a low and throaty groan, his thrusts starting to get sloppy as the heat and fire burned in my belly. “My Primrose, my flower,” 

Trembling beneath his fervent touch and relentless love, I found myself being teetering at the edge once more, gasping on oxygen at the idea of cumming for a third time this night. There was simply no way… until he managed to find that one spot that had me struggling to reign in the tension that wanted to explode from my body. 

“Give it all to me, Hana, I want all of you,” H.R. groaned into my neck as my trembles upgraded to twitching and shaking. Crying out while my nails dug so hard into his back that they surely would leave marks come tomorrow morning, I let myself go, giving into H.R.’s wishes with a loud scream. 

Back arching against H.R.’s body, my eyes saw stars and I honestly thought I was going to float off the bed. While I was on cloud nine, a sudden burst of warmth filled me and H.R. was rolling, dragging me along with him until he was on his back and I was sprawled on top of him, both if his arms gripping my back. With both of us breathing heavily, I struggled to get myself up enough where I could look H.R. in the face. 

“That was unexpected,” I murmured, rubbing my sweaty hair out of my face. “But I’ve kind of wanted to do that for months…” 

H.R. beamed up at me before sliding a hand around to trail his fingers down the side of my flushed cheek.

“I’ll be your superman any time you want, Prim,” My lips curved into a smile before I dropped my cheek back to his chest with a heavy sigh. 

“But first, let me take a nap, cause I’m tired and you are comfortable.” I mumbled, closing my eyes and snuggling closer to him. 

*****

At nine thirty eight the next morning, I woke up to find myself still sprawled out on H.R., hugging him like he was my own personal teddy bear. Well, at this point he was… and after carefully extracting myself from his arms, making sure not to wake up the softly snoring writer, I pulled on a pair of fresh underwear and one of his shirts he had left at my house from our last movie night. 

With H.R. still out and sleeping like a baby, this was my chance to text Cisco and get him vibe H.R.’s transcript over to me. So slinking into the kitchen, not bothering to collect the discarded clothing, I grabbed my phone and sent a few quick texts to our friends. They had all texted me late last night, wondering where H.R. and I had gone, before ultimately giving up and using the tracking system to find that we both were at my house. 

Hitting the on button for my coffee machine, I padded over to my couch and sat down, exchanging a few texts with Caitlin about the transcript. Less than a minute later it was dropping to my coffee table via Cisco, and I was instantly reaching for it, wanting to delve into the pages as soon as possible. 

Peeling back the cover, I spent the time to read each and every page, my eyes soaking in every word on the guided crisp paper. When I reached the dedication section, my eyes watered slightly as I ran my fingers brushed over the black words. 

To Primrose, you have shown me that the greatest adventures in life have yet to come, and to always keep looking forwards. 

What did I do to deserve the love of this man? Chewing on my lip, my slowly turned the pages until I was at chapter one, and getting comfortable on the couch, I started reading. I got lost in H.R.’s writing, not noticing that the man had rolled out of bed, poured two cups of coffee and sat down next to me until a mug of steaming java was thrust underneath my nose. 

Blinking as the rich and dark smell invaded my nose and overtook my concentration, I turned my head to see H.R. sitting next to me. 

“Since when did you get up?” I questioned him, using one of Barry’s book marks to mark where I had stopped reading before closing the manuscript and setting it aside to take the coffee cup. 

“Oh about ten minutes ago!” He cheerily replied with a big grin. “But you were very absorbed in the manuscript you didn’t make any acknowledgement of my presence.” 

“Sorry,” I mumbled with a slight blush as I took the coffee and took a sip. Perfect as usual, H.R. knew exactly how I liked it. “I got sidetracked…” 

“I’ll say, I’ve been trying to get your attention for the last two minutes!” I dropped my head back with a groan before leaning to the side and dropping my head to his shoulder. “It seems the coffee did the trick.” 

“I didn’t mean to, but I really, really, wanted to get into this manuscript.” I mumbled into his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around my waist. “Especially since Caitlin ran off with it yesterday…” 

“Oh I’m not complaining, I wasn’t joking about the time I spent watching you read,” H.R. responded, his grin growing. “But you got so absorbed that you didn’t hear the coffee machine go off!”

“I’m not going to apologize for that,” I stated, taking another sip of the heavenly coffee. “Your written word is a work of art.” 

“What’s a work of art is the woman next to me wearing my shirt,” H.R. argued back before pulling out a glimmering gold bracelet with five metal primrose flowers mounted to the chain, diamonds mounted in the center. My eyes widened as my cup of coffee faltered on its way to my lips. 

“H.R. I swear to god—“

“This isn’t a birthday gift so you can’t yell at me!” He yelled out defensively before booping me on the nose. Letting out a disgruntled sigh, my eyes watched as he wrapped the delicate bracelet around my right wrist.

“Fine, you can get away with this,” I huffed at him, my eyes watching as the diamonds caught in the light and sparkled. “… but only if you’re my boyfriend because he is allowed to do that.”

The beaming smile I got in return from H.R. could rival the brilliance of the diamonds. His head bent down until our foreheads were touching.

“There is nothing that would please me more than being able to call you my girlfriend, except getting to call you my wife and one one one…” Giggling in return, I reached up and pat his cheeks. 

“Slow down there cowboy, take me on a date first, will you?” I answered him, his eyes sparkled at my words. I thought they might, hinting at something more than just being boyfriend and girlfriend was more than enough for H.R. to practically tackle me, causing me to drop the coffee mug to the carpet, the dark liquid soaking into the fabric. 

I didn’t care, I was too busy being returning the coffee soaked kiss to be bothered about a stained carpet. My arms wrapped around H.R.’s neck as my fingers dug into his messy hair, and let’s just say when Cisco and Barry called to ask if the two of us were planning on coming into the lab today, both of us were far too busy to answer their calls.


	10. Requited (HR Wells)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Requited:** I had a taste of Barry Allen even though I knew it was wrong, and boy was I in over my head. Liliana had a rough road ahead of her after learning some surprising facts about her best friend H.R., and in the end, it all boiled down to a choice, is she willing to give up seventeen years of hurt? Or will she continue to spiral?  
>  **Warnings:** Language, mentioned dub-con, angst,  
>  **To Note:** this did not turn out like I had originally planned, or even thought, but wcyd.

It took at least five minutes to get from Caitlin’s car to the medical area of the lab, the whole time my body hurting with every little movement. Managing to sneak past Cisco, H.R., and Barry, Caitlin had me sit on the edge of a gurney in the private room before helping me to change into a hospital gown so she could fully assess the damage. 

The first thing Caitlin checked was my neck which had bruising that matched up with fingers. They weren’t too dark, but it definitely looked like someone had tried to strangle me, luckily the love bites blended right in with the finger marks. Going off memory, I didn’t think Savitar knew just how strong he was, or how breakable I am. Either way I had some deep tissue bruising.

Continuing down my body, I had more marks mixed with bruises on my shoulders and chest, showing off just how rough a lover Savitar was, and upon reaching my hips, well there were definitive finger marks from where I had been grabbed. 

It was mortifying. Mostly because Caitlin knew I received most of these from sleeping with Savitar, rather than simply being beat up by him. I had caved to temptation and this is what I wrought. 

“Lilli,” Caitlin said as she hooked up and I.V. to a concoction she had to speed up my healing. “You know that this isn’t your fault, right?” 

“If I had tried harder to say no…” I whispered out, my fingers gripping the warm blanket covering my legs. 

“I might be burying a body, rather than healing you.” Caitlin stated, finishing what she was doing before moving to where I was lying back against a bunch of pillows. “We are lucky you are still alive, Lilli, now get some rest. I’m going to update the guys, tell them that you were attacked and will be staying at the lab for now.”

Caitlin headed for the exit of the small room. 

“Cait?” She turned back to look at me. “Thank you, I know I have no right to ask you not to tell them the full truth.”

“I know what it feels like to have something like that so close and not be able to resist it.” Caitlin responded softly before heading out the door, closing it behind her. Leaning back into the copious amounts of pillows, I stared up at the ceiling wondering how I had managed to fuck things up by not being able to say no.

Closing my eyes, I tried to do exactly what Caitlin and my body wanted, rest and sleep. But even with pain medication, warm blankets, and lots of pillows, I found myself locked in a fit of unrestful sleep. My dreams were filled with haunting green eyes, echoes of Savitar Barry’s voice, and flickers of scars.

Whimpering from the onslaught of images I couldn’t get away from, turned to the nearest source of comfort I could find and latched onto that. An instant comforting feeling along with security came with that warmth and I found myself tightening my grip, not wanting to let it go. 

Blinking my eyes open, the room I had somehow managed to fall asleep in was significantly darker, and turning my head to the left I could see that it was dark out. Shifting slightly on the bed, I noted that I did actually feel better and it was somewhat easier to move. When I reached to rub my tired eyes, I found that I had something in my grasp.

Rolling my head to the right, I came face to face with the top of H.R.’s fluffy hair and I had his hand in a death grip.

“H.R.?” I rasped out, a brief momentary instance of confusion hitting me of why he was here, and then I remembered what Caitlin had said earlier. 

“Trust me when I say H.R. will do anything you ask,”

I wasn’t an idiot, and now it was glaringly obvious to me of why H.R., one of my newer friends, was always there for me and always tried to keep a smile on my face. I had been so locked up in my own feelings I never saw what was directly in front of me.

H.R. started mumbling about java and books, and a funny comic he had read lately as he started to move. His head lifted and sparkling blue eyes sleepily met my wide ones. It probably took a full minute for H.R. to realize I was staring back at him before he was jumping up in his seat and pulling our joined hands to him, his lips pressing a kiss to my knuckles. 

“Liliana! You’re finally awake!” H.R. exclaimed excitedly, his metaphorical dog ears and tail perking up. He grabbed his hat and neatly set it on his head before continuing. “I’ve been very worried since Dr. Snow informed us that you had been attacked. She had to kick Fransisco out because he was creating too much noise and you needed quiet. He and Barry have been trying to figure out what to do next!” 

“H.R. word volume,” I spoke out weakly to alert him to the fact that he was spewing far too much information at once to be understood. He cleared his throat and banged his forehead with our joined hands. 

“Right of course, mustn’t overwhelm you.” H.R. said, practically scolding himself before peering down at me. “Are you feeling better? You looked like you were in a lot of pain earlier.” 

I felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest all over again, only this time it was because there was a man in front of me who would literally give me the world, and I had been completely oblivious. My lips started to tremble as tears gathered in my eyes.

H.R. started panicking again before reaching over with his other hand and wrapping me up in a big, strong, comforting, hug. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry,” I blubbered into his shirt. H.R. hugged me to his chest and buried his face in my rats next hair. My sudden upset must have made some of my vitals change because Caitlin was soon hurrying in with Cisco on her tail. It must have been quite a sight. 

Me, a blubbering mess, and H.R., trying to calm down said blubbering mess.

“Oh thank god,” Cisco wheezed, pressing a hand to his chest while leaning against the door jam. Caitlin walked over, grabbing the iPad that was hanging off the end of the bed. 

“You made us think you where having another night terror or worse.” Caitlin mused as she played around with the iPad. “I’m glad to see that is not the case.” 

“What do you mean by night terror?” I questioned, looking from Caitlin to H.R., who then gave my hand a squeeze. 

“Exactly what I said, I slipped in a sedative to help you sleep, and once you were, you started having night terrors.”

“Yeah you were thrashing around like a patient out of Alcatraz,” Cisco spoke up. “Kept trying to yank out your I.V. and stab us, it was pretty nasty.”

“What?” I sputtered out, horrification blooming on my face. 

“For the record no one blames you for having night terrors after what happened,” Caitlin said quickly before gesturing to H.R.. “Luckily H.R. was here, you kind of latched onto him and then refused to let go.” 

“You didn’t tell me that!” I exclaimed, turning my eyes to H.R., who then brushed a limp of my hair out of my face and behind my ear. 

“That’s because once you grabbed my hand you calmed down and stopped fighting Dr. Snow.” H.R. responded with a small shrug. “And I am more than happy to hold your hand, Lilliana.” 

“I’ll say,” Cisco snorted before being shot a dirty look by Caitlin.

“Cisco, I just remembered I need you to look at something,” Caitlin spoke loudly as she clicked over to Cisco and started dragging him out of the room. She tossed a look over my shoulder before nodding her head at H.R., and then disappearing. 

I didn’t need to think very hard on what she wanted me to do, and it was only right that I did so. H.R. didn’t deserve to be left out and it would eat me up if I didn’t address it. 

“H.R.,” I spoke up softly as soon as Caitlin and Cisco were out of the room. My hands fisted the bedsheet covering my legs. “We need to talk…”

H.R. reached up and grabbed his hat, taking down from where it had been perched on his hair. He released our hands and started nibbling picking at his hat in a timid and meek sort of way. 

“I take it she told you?” H.R. asked, his fingers never once ceasing their picking. 

“Not directly, but I figured it out,” I answered quietly. “I just don’t understand how you possibly could love—“

“Don’t say that,” H.R. blurted out, cutting me off. “Don’t ever say that, Liliana, there are plenty of reasons why anyone would fall in love with you.” 

“Who wants to love a woman who can’t get over her first crush?” I argued back, my fingers digging into the sheets. “I’m not worth it,”

H.R. flicked his hat over his shoulder and grabbed my cheeks with his hands, his blue eyes boring into my hazel ones. 

“You are worth it to me, you will always be worth it to me,” He said with conviction, squishing my cheeks together. “Always, and Savitar isn’t the only one who can see it. You are worth more than anyone can imagine, and if BA can’t see it then that is his loss, not yours.” 

I slumped were I lay, slowly reaching up with one hand and placing it over his larger one. 

“I’m sorry I’ve been so consumed with my own feelings I was blind to yours,” I mumbled with a sigh. “You don’t deserve that.”

“I’m your best friend, it’s my job to comfort you when your heart is broken. I just want to see a smile on your face, I am more than content to just be your best friend.” Oh god that made my heart hurt even more. How perfect could one man be and I never even realized it because I had my head too high in the clouds? I let out a small sigh.

“Well, right now the best friend could really use someone to snuggle.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Lilli, you look positively beat up.” H.R. said with hesitance, I turned on my pleading eyes. 

“Please? I’m cold and all I want right now is to snuggle against something warm.” I whined softly, tugging at his vest. “I really don’t want to be alone right now and you always make me feel safe.”

H.R. sighed, he could never resist my puppy eyes, which might I add I learned from him, before making a scooting motion with his hands. With a happy smile on my lips, I carefully moved my body to the other edge of the large medical bed allowing him to lay down next to me. 

As soon as he looked remotely settled, I was wiggling back over, and half climbing on him, using his shoulder as a pillow. His arms gingerly wrapped around my body and as he pulled up the blanket to cover our bodies, I snuggled my head against his chest, his heartbeat thumping steadily in my ear. 

His hand settled on my side in a weight that sent assured calmness to my brain while his other stroked through my messy hair, and with one last kiss to my head, we fell into a silence. Turning my thoughts away from Barry Allen, and a relationship that will never happen, I let myself wonder what it would be like to date H.R. Wells, and for once, be someones first choice. 

*****

It was a hard pill to swallow, but if I wanted to fully heal from years of hurt, I had to do it. After so many years loving Barry Allen, letting that all go was like giving myself wings. But that didn’t mean I was going to let Iris die. She was still my friend and I’ll be damned if Savitar takes her away from us. 

H.R. was hiding something from me, I knew that much since he had been extra cuddly and even kissed me on the forehead when he thought I was sleeping. What really tipped me off was the night Iris was going to die, H.R. had pressed his beloved necklace into my palm while I was dozing, whispering that he loved me. 

Waking up with the necklace in my hand was a startling realization that he was planning on something, and that something was bad. It was a hard pill to swallow letting Barry Allen go, but loosing H.R.? I was sure I wouldn’t survive that. 

So changing as fast as I could despite my sore and hurting body, I snuck out of the lab and went to head off Savitar. His obsession with me might just give Barry enough of a chance to take him down before Iris died, whatever H.R. planned aside. 

With H.R.’s necklace hanging around my neck, I got myself to Infantino Street as fast as I could. Slipping to a stop on the cold street, I panted for breath as I looked up to see Barry, Savitar, and Iris. 

“Barry don’t!” I called out, my eyes focusing on Savitar as I stepped closer to him and Iris. “Please, you don’t need to do this, we— we can find some other way around this, please, don’t kill Iris.” 

“Her death is inevitable, transcendence which will elevate you and I.” Savitar robotically answered, his claws curling in a menacing way behind Iris. 

“I don’t want that if Iris has to die!” I yelled back, halfway to him already. “Please! Let’s find another solution.” 

“You know that if Iris West doesn’t die, you will,” 

“What?” Barry said from behind me. I paid him no mind. 

“If that is my destiny, so be it.” I answered, my hands shaking at my side. “I would rather die than live knowing that my friend died because of me.” 

“Is that your final decision?” 

“What? Lilli, what are you talking about!” Barry erupted as Iris stared at me with wide fear filled eyes. 

“At least I won’t be hurting anymore.” I whispered with a sad smile. “Let Iris go and we can figure this out, you and I.” 

“Liliana don’t,” Iris gasped out in Savitar’s grasp. My eyes went to Iris dangling in the air, something in the back of my mind ringing warning bells. I didn’t have time to question what it was. 

“Even faced with death you still remain pure,” Savitar rasped. “But I will not allow Barry Allen to hurt you any longer.” 

Barry didn’t move fast enough, Barry couldn’t have moved fast enough. Savitar was thrusting Iris forwards and ramming his blade through her chest. 

“No!” I screamed as a rush of air flew by me. It was Barry. Savitar disappeared in a rush as I bolted towards Barry and Iris. “Iris!” 

Running up to the two, I dropped to my knees and stared as Iris laying limp in Barry’s arm, seemingly not breathing, blood still oozing from her chest. 

“No, this is not how it is supposed to go,” I cried as I dug my hands into my hair and Barry sobbed. “You can’t die! I’m the one that’s supposed to die!”

Iris jerked in place before sucking in a gasping breath and coughing. 

“Iris!?” Barry and I called out as the same time. She coughed some more before smiling up at the two of us hovering over her. 

“B.A.?” Iris rasped, and I instantly knew why warning bells were going off in my head. 

“No, no, no no no no!” I cried out as Barry set Iris down on the ground, gaping at her in confusion. I lunged forwards and all but pulled Iris in my lap, or should I say H.R.? “You idiot!”

H.R. pulled out his transmogrifier and in a second Iris glitched to H.R. 

“Why? Why did you have to do this?” I screamed at him, wanting to shake him silly as tears poured down my cheeks. “You can’t tell me something like that and then die!”

My hands further cradled his face as I full on sobbed, squeezing my eyes shut, I bent over H.R. and tried to hold the last bit of myself together. 

“You can’t do this to me,” I whimpered, my entire body trembling. “Not when I finally managed to let go.” 

A shaky hand landed on my cheek as H.R. gasped in my lap, and opening my tear soaked eyes, I stared down into his blue, pain filled ones. 

“Please don’t leave me,” I begged him. “You’re supposed to be my one. You’re supposed to be my one.” 

“Liliana,” H.R. gasped out, pulling my head down so our foreheads were touching. “You are stronger than you— than you think, and I— I love you.” 

H.R. coughed, but this time blood came up, dribbling from his lips. I swiped at the blood on his chin, not caring that it was getting on my fingers. 

“Barry?” H.R. grunted, Barry was at attention immediately. “Go stop Savitar.” 

“H.R., you need—“

“Go,” I ordered, holding H.R. to my chest. “Go kill that bastard.” 

Barry, still conflicted, clenched his fists before disappearing in a flash of yellow light. I turned my eyes back to H.R., my lips trembling as I tried not to start sobbing again. I didn’t know what to do, my brain completely frozen, so I just sat there holding H.R. while he was slowly dying in my arms. 

*****

The following months after Savitar’s defeat weighed heavily on my heart. Iris was still alive, I could still potentially die, and I was still learning to let go of Barry Allen. None of it was easy, seventeen years was a long time and it would take time. 

Looking down at my chest, I reached up and ran my fingers over H.R.’s necklace. I made sure to wear it everyday, rarely taking it off. My boyfriend harassed me about it, but after giving him one nasty look and possessively growling at him when he tried to reach for it, he let it be. 

That’s right. Boyfriend. It was still a learning process for me, but actually having a boyfriend seemed to help with my healing process. Even if it seemed impossible at times. Taking a deep breath, I slowly reached up and removed the necklace from my neck, placing it in my jewelry box for safe keeping. 

“Liliana, you are thinking to much again.” The teasing words of my boyfriend had me twisting around on my toes and looking at him with a raised eyebrow. 

“Since when is it a crime to think?” I questioned him with a flourish of my hand. He just chuckled and splashed around in the Jacuzzi tub. 

“Since you’re making your boyfriend wait,” He huffed like a petulant child. “Come on, I’ve been waiting for this all day.” 

“Someone’s impatient,” I giggled before reached for the string of the bathrobe I wore. “Good things come to those that wait!” 

His eyes follow my eye very move as I rolled my shoulders and pulled the bathrobe free from my body. My hands let it drop to the bathroom floor, leaving me without a scrap of clothes on. Grinning happily, I carefully stepped into the bubbling Jacuzzi and slouched back against the opposite side with a heavy sigh. 

“Oh I need this,” I groaned out as the hot water mixed with jets started massaging my overworked muscles. 

“I tell you, you work too hard.” My lips twitched into a smile as I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. Beneath the bubbling bathwater he took my right foot and started kneading my heel. I let out a groan. “God, how are you so good at that?”

I didn’t even have to open my eyes to know he had a cheeky grin on his adorable face. 

“I have magic hands,” He responded as he switched over to my other foot. Groaning again from how good his massage felt, my head pressed back into the tub. 

“Magic hands alright,” I murmured with a sated sigh before opening my eyes. “One year anniversary is coming up, Cisco wants to hold a party but I’m really not so sure I want to be celebrating the day my best friend died…” 

“Hey…” My foot was dropped and my hands were grabbed before I was promptly pulled forwards onto my knees between his legs. He released a hand to cup my face and make me look him in the eyes. “If you don’t want to go, we don’t go. You know I am perfectly happy staying at home with you.” 

I bit my lip before looking down at the scar that graced his chest, my hand reached down to trace it. I had so many bad memories that night I would really rather just forget them all. 

“You know I love you, H.R., right?” I asked, looking back up at him. “So, so much.” 

Rather than respond, H.R. twisted my body so I was tucked up against him, my back to his chest, with his arms around my body while he pressed a line of kisses on my neck and shoulder. 

“That I have no doubt,” H.R. murmured against my skin as I wrapped my own arms around his. “And Liliana, Savitar might have been B.A., but he was not your best friend. A best friend doesn’t try to control you like he did.” 

Letting out a long sigh, I leaned my head back onto his shoulder and twisted my neck so my head was tucked against his shoulder. Barry Allen of Earth Prime is my best friend, not a fragment, not someone who ceased to exit one year ago, Barry Allen of Earth Prime.

“H.R.?” I asked as I twisted my neck further to look up into his face. He in turn looked down at me, our noses almost touching. We had taken this relationship slowly, after all I had just learned to let my love for Barry Allen go, but after a year of spending time with H.R., and dating him for most of that time, I had finally worked up the courage.

“Will you be my one one one?” I asked him. H.R. blinked at me for a few moments before smiling and leaning down. Our lips met and for a brief moment it felt like nothing in the world could go wrong. Until there was a crashing sound followed by an angry yowl. Pulling away from H.R., I glared at the partially open door of the bathroom. 

“Yardstick! For the last time you mongrel! _Leave the Roomba the hell alone!”_


	11. The Song I Sing (Eowells)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **The Song I Sing:** Octavia has been with Team Flash since the beginning. After getting over the heart breaking betrayal of Harrison Wells along with gaining the speed force, Octavia is up against the best with her speed. But one strange run later and Octavia finds herself traveling time for the first time, and in a heap of trouble. She may be quick on her feet but Harrison Wells isn’t easily fooled.   
> **Warnings:** Language, Explicit scenarios (wrap it up, un protected sex is a no no)  
>  **To Note:** Eowells x OC

“So Cisco wants us to do what again?” I questioned, rubbing my forehead as Barry tried to figure out how to work the two devices Cisco had given to test out on the air field. 

“He wants us to run with these,” Barry explained as he scratched his head with the receiver of one while staring in puzzlement at the other. “But he failed to mention what they’re for or how to use them, as usual…”

Walking over, I grabbed the device out of Barry’s hand and squinted at it, rotating it in my hand. 

“Looks like a suped up velocity receiver, which basically means we just have to run around with them in our hands and hope that Cisco Ciscofied them enough to where they won’t break apart.” I said as I took a closer look at the device. “But why he wants to know our velocities when he already has plenty of information on that is beyond me.” 

“It’s Cisco, he’s always working on something,” Barry responded with a sigh. “So I guess we just start running?”

“Yep,” I mused before looking down at my outfit. “And I swear to god if this ruins these shoes…”

“Cisco will buy you a new pair,” Barry huffed before taking off in a yellow flash. Huffing at Barry, I rolled my eyes. 

“These are Italian, Cisco would faint at the price.” I mumbled before taking off after Barry in my own flash of gold. Running down the tarmac after Barry, I heard the velocity receiver let out a trill at my movement. Hopefully that meant Cisco was getting the information he wanted.

Barry and I did several back and forth sprints across the runway. On our lap number ten, just as Barry and I hit the halfway mark down the tarmac something exploded brightly in front of us, sending us both skidding to a stop while covering our faces. 

Smelling burning plastic as our shoes skidded to an abrupt halt, Barry and I gaped at the swirling energy in front of us. 

“Uh, Barry?” I questioned, my eyes trained on the flashing waves of rippling energy. “What is this?” 

“I don’t know,” Barry panted besides me, his green eyes flickering all over the shifting lights. “But something tells me that it isn’t good…”

“So we should probably start running…?” I offered, Barry nodded slowly. 

“Yeahhh, that would probably be a good idea.” Barry answered weakly. “You head back to the lab, tell Caitlin and Cisco what happen.” 

“I’ll go do that,” I mumbled before turning around and taking off. Zipping away from the airport, I was unsettled by the fact that the energy flare seemed to be following me. That only made me start running faster. The streets of Central City warped and bended as I whipped by them, and abruptly hitting the brakes, I slid across the concrete floor of the cortex, breathing heavily. 

Looking around, I found Caitlin and Cisco nowhere to be found which was strange because they had said they would pretty much be in the cortex room the whole day. My eyes went to the digital clock on the wall, it blinked eleven forty three PM at me. 

“What the—“ I muttered, wondering why the clock was wrong. It was only about two in the afternoon. Something was wrong, no Cisco or Caitlin, a very quiet Cortex, a wrong clock. “Shit,”

Walking quickly over to the Cortex computers, I bent over the nearest one and quickly typed in my username and password. It didn’t work. I tried again, making sure to spell everything correctly. User not registered. 

“Fuck,” I breathed out, my eyes going to the small date in the corner of the screen. How the hell did I manage to crash my way into the past? Three years, three. Brushing the hair that had slipped from my braid out of my face, I quickly connected the dots. That energy flare must have boosted by speed, and if I found out when the next one is due, I could use it to get back. 

Logging into the computer using Cisco’s username and password, I pulled up the software Cisco had designed to calculate energy changed around the system. I had no idea how to use it, but with enough poking around I might be able to figure something out. While I was trying to figure out how to operate the software, I failed to pick up on the sounds of an electric chair gliding across concrete. 

“Miss Turner,” I completely froze at the voice echoing in the large room. I hadn’t heard that voice in so long, or at least that tone. Straightening up, I forced a smile on my face as I turned around on my heel. 

“Dr. Wells, you’re up late!” I greeted lightly despite the fact that I was literally shaking on the inside, half out of fear, and half out of anger. 

“Oh you know me, I like my work,” He responded as he wheeled himself over near me and rested his arm on the chair. “What brings you by so late?” 

Something told me that just by the way he said those words that he knew something was going on and was suspicious of me. 

“Had a thought, needed to get it down and investigate before I forgot.” I replied, shrugging my shoulders slight. His lips curved into that half smile of his as he pushed his glasses up his nose. 

“Really?” He questioned, those blue eyes of his practically staring into my soul. He then asked me a question that completely caught me off guard. “Who are you?”

My lips parted as I tried not to stumble for words. I blinked at him in fake confusion, my eyes darting around as my face scrunched up. 

“Sorry? I don’t know what you mean by ‘who are you?’. You know me, Octavia Turner, Barry’s friend and Cisco’s best friend? We’ve know each other for like— two years, I help you out all the time…”

“Hmm,” He sounded, not entirely convinced. His head tilted and he gave me that deadly smile of his. “I know for a fact that Octavia is in Oregon, visiting her parents.” 

I remembered this trip, I had talked nonstop about how exited I was to visit my parents and home city of Portland. 

“I came back early,” I smoothly replied while shrugging in a nonchalant way. “You know how my parents are, they get a globe trotting idea in their heads and have to answer that call. I didn’t want to ruin that by making them stay, so I came back.” 

He chuckled as he shifted in his seat, the muscles of his upper body practically rippling beneath his black blazer and white button up. That was a threat alone, I knew exactly how dangerous this man was, and I wasn’t just talking about how unbelievably handsome he was. Thawne plucked his glasses off his nose and rubbed his forehead, his soft chuckles fading. 

“Oh you’re good, I’ll give you that… but you aren’t Octavia, at least not mine.” He stated, his face going deadly serious as he slipped his glasses into the pocket of his blazer. Those blue eyes pierced into mine as my heart started racing. “So tell me, who are you and how did you get here.”

“I’m sorry,” I breathed out, shaking my head. “I don’t know what you mean, it’s me, I am Octavia, you know Tavia… the clumsy one that spills coffee on herself at least once a day?” 

His lips pressed into a line that half looked like a smile and half looked like a smirk, and for a millisecond I thought he was going to let it be. I was wrong. 

Thawne was moving before I could even twitch a muscle, the Cortex disappeared as he ran off with me and his motorized wheelchair and barely a second alter I found myself pinned to one of the bumpy walls of the Time Vault with a tight hand around my throat. Gasping in surprise, my legs kicked out at him as his blue eyes narrowed at me in all seriousness. 

“I’ll ask you one more time before I put my hand through your chest,” Thawne said evenly, darkness echoing around his electric blue eyes. “Who are you, and where did you come from?” 

Grasping at his hand while digging my fingernails into his flesh, I quickly ran through my options. I could run, he would catch me and then kill me. I could continue playing dumb, he would kill me. I could tell him the truth… and I didn’t know what would happen or if we would believe me. 

He obviously didn’t like my silence because he tightened his grip on my neck, cutting off the flow of oxygen even more. 

“Future!” I sputtered out with a slight cough and wheeze. “I’m Octavia from the future!” 

He regarded me with a curious look before releasing my neck and letting me drop straight down to my ass. Coughing as oxygen flooded back into my lungs, I rubbed my neck as he walked a few paces away, clearly in thought.

“You aren’t in my plans,” He turned on his heel looking down at me with those piercing eyes. “You aren’t in my plans and yet you somehow have the speed force.” 

I shakily pushed myself to my feet, leaning back against the dotted wall. I was on the fence, do I spill my guts and tell him everything? Or do I keep my silence and hope that he lets me run out of here since I am an insignificant insect compared to him. He sighed at my silence and ran a hand through his hair. 

“Octavia, Octavia, Octavia,” Thawne tutted, tapping his fingers on his chin while smirking slightly. “I always liked you, you know, I still do. You’re quiet, hard working, never questioned me, always so eager to help.” 

“Yeah and look where that got me,” I huffed underneath my breath, my attitude I had gained after receiving the speed force, coming though. “Stuck in the past with you.” 

“Ooh, the little song bird finally found her voice,” He mused, his smirk widening. “Tell me, how does having the speed force rushing through your very DNA feel? Empowering, isn’t it.” 

That’s how he knew I wasn’t the Octavia from this time, he could probably feel the speedforce in me, humming just underneath my skin. 

“I didn’t ask for this you know,” I spat back at him, my eyes vibrating red briefly. “And the jokes on me for ever thinking you where a handsome, honest, brilliant man.”

“Hmm, you aren’t wrong,” Thawne gloated, raising his hands in a carefree move. “You do love me don’t you.” 

“I stopped following you around like an eager, lovesick puppy ages ago, Thawne!” I hissed at him. “Get off your high horse!”

He zipped in front of me, slamming his palms on either side of my head and caging me while I pressed myself flat against the wall. Or at least tried to. Attempting to keep my fear of him in check, I glared back into his amused blue eyes in defiance, ignoring just how close he was to me. 

“You’ve gotten confident, song bird.” Thawne purred, his mouth so close I could literally feel the vibrations from his words along with the breath he exhaled. 

“As I have stated,” I responded, struggling to keep my body under control. “I wasn’t given a choice in the matter so I adapted. It’s a lot easier to be confident when I can outrun almost all danger.” 

“I’d like to see you try to outrun me,” 

“Why do you think I haven’t tried bolting yet? I’m not stupid or suicidal.”

“No,” He agreed, his lips curving into that devious, hot, bad, smirk of his. “You’re not.” 

“What do you want with me right now Thawne? Because if you’re going to drive your hand through my chest, by all means, go ahead I’m waiting.” I cooly spat in his face, my eyes blazing with simmering irritation.

“Oh my little song bird, I think I’d rather hear your sweet tune,” Thawne replied huskily before pressing his knee against the apex of my jean clad legs and vibrating it. Clamping my lips together, I muted a muffled whine as the buzzing went straight to my core, awakening electric fire I hadn’t felt in years. “Trying to stifle those beautiful sounds? I don’t think so.”

The vibrations increased well passed any toy I had felt before and left me gasping for air while twisting uncomfortably against the wall. My fingers dug against the bumpy wall as my underwear quickly became soaked beneath his offending knee. 

“Thawne,” I rasped out, breathing heavily and shaking. “S-stop, stop it,” 

“Do you really want me to?” He questioned, his lips brushing teasingly against my ear before landing on my neck. He bit lightly at my skin, drawing a startled squeak that quickly turned into a moan, from my mouth. “Because I have a sneaking suspicion you want this just as much as I do.” 

“This isn’t okay,” I panted out while Thawne continued to explore my neck with his mouth, biting down sometimes and placing feather light kisses other times. “You— you are supposed to be my en-enemy. You’re-re b-bad!” 

“Am I?” Thawne countered before removing his knee and slipping his hand down the front of my jeans, his fingers stroking me through my thin underwear. My face burned as more whimpers slipped free from my lips. I bit down on my lower lip and closed my eyes, squeezing my knees together while my legs started quivering. Thawne grabbed my chin with his free hand, forcing me to look into his burning, lust filled, eyes. “I know you want me, Octavia, just like how I want you.” 

My hand shot down to the wrist of the hand he had shoved into my jeans, my fingers wrapping around his wrist. Lips parting as I let out a strained gasp, my fingernails really dug into his wrist when he started to vibrate his fingers against my cloth covered core. 

“Please,” I choked out nearly breathlessly. “I can’t betray my friends, no ma-matter how much I want y-you.” 

“Always so loyal my song bird,” Thawne chuckled before moving his lips to the tender flesh underneath my jaw and placing several light kisses there. “You may not be able to betray them… but I can.” 

With that his lips smothered mine in hot, passionate, divine power that sucked the rest of the air from my lungs. I couldn’t help the autonomous moan that crawled up my throat and I knew that I would be able to stop myself. He was too bad to resist. 

My remaining hand reached up and sank into his ruffled black hair, getting a good grip and pushing his lips further against mine as I started kissing back, ravenous for more. Biting and nipping at his lower lip, I groaned into his mouth when his fingers slithered passed the barrier of my underwear and fully sank into my wet heat.

Head dropping back as the vibrations suddenly hit me from inside my body, my fingers clawed at his wrist, torn between wanting more and needing relief from the vibrations. Whimpering into his mouth while my hips twitched and my knees twisted further together, I raked my nails through Thawne’s hair. Our mouths parted and Thawne gazed triumphantly down at me as my entire body started to quake beneath his ministrations. 

“Give it to me, little bird,” He purred with a twist of his lips and increase of both his vibrations and fingering. Biting down hard on my lower lip with bruising force, my head bent forwards into his chest as I choked on a rasping groan. Ripping my hand from his wrist, I sank my fingers into his blazer when my entire body started twitching in anticipation of what could only be a mind numbing orgasm. 

It didn’t creep up on me. No, it hit me with the strength of a tidal wave, washing pure electrical fire though my veins. Throwing my head back into the wall, my mouth dropped open in a soundless scream as my vocal chords constricted in time with my walls. I felt myself clench down around his fingers, squeezing them tight as I came hard.

Chest heaving, I slowly came down from my high as my arms flopped back against the dimpled wall. Never in my life had I had an orgasm that left me trembling and weak kneed. While I was catching my breath, Thawne withdrew his coated fingers from my pulsating core and cleaned them by sticking each of them in his mouth. I shuddered, wide eyed as my body warmed up once more, turned on by that small action.

“God you taste divine,” Thawne rasped as he stroked my jaw, his blues eyes staring down into my wide hazel ones. “And to think I never tried to taste you before…” 

I didn’t say anything, I couldn’t, the addicting high and electricity crackling through my veins stole any words I could have said. I just stood there, wide eyed, panties soaked, jeans too probably, legs shaking and silently wanting more. It seemed Thawne wanted more by the way he felt pressed up against my body.

I didn’t have to wait long, Thawne had my boots, jeans, and underwear off before I could blink, ripped the top half buttons of my blouse and was hoisting me up against the wall. My hands jerked to his chest the moment I felt his length sliding into my body with ease. A hoarse wheeze tumbled out of my lips as my own fingers dug into the fabric of his button up. Tearing at the expensive material until buttons popped free.

When he started to thrust, falling into a sinful perfect rhythm, my shoulder blades scraped against the wall adding just a pinch of pain that only heightened the pleasure he drove into my body. Panting, my fingers sank into his exposed chest while his mouth swooped down and landed on my exposed bra and cleavage. 

Teeth scraped across my delicate skin followed by a hot tongue soothing the sting, marking up blank skin like it was a canvas. Thawne sucked my skin into his mouth, no doubt leaving territorial marks while I moaned and slowly crumbled in his arms. My feet moved to wrap around his waist, closing the space between our bodies, locking my ankles together.

Every time his pelvis hit mine the burning need grew in the pit of my stomach and the more I struggled to keep my vocalizations to a minimum. I did not want to give him the pleasure of knowing that he knew exactly how to bring out the worst sort of pleasure. Thawne’s mouth ripped from my now overly sensitized chest and rapidly trailed up my neck we were staring in each others eyes once more.

“Look at you trying so hard to be quiet,” Thawne rasped with that smirk, he clearly was enjoying my struggles. His lips brushed against mine as I made a strangled noise in the back of my throat. Thawne’s grip on my thighs tightened to the point of being uncomfortable as he sped up and a small cry slipped from my lips. “That’s it, little bird, sing for me.”

My muted cries turned to full on whimpers as his cock started to vibrate within me, threatening to send me straight over the edge and into la la land. My left hand raked up his chest to grip his shoulder when my entire body started to tremble and quake in his grasp. I wasn’t going to last for more than a few seconds. 

Dragging in a shuddering last breath, the oxygen nearly caught in my throat when he hit a certain spot in my body. I exploded around him with a gushing sensation and a sharp cry. Throwing my head back as I twitched heavily in his arms, I was quickly overwhelmed by lightheadedness.

I felt my body go slack even as Thawne continued to thrust, my ankles dropping from their locked position and dangling listlessly in his hold. My eyelids fluttered as I gasped for a few seconds more and closing my eyes I went completely limp. 

*****

A soft groan passed through my lips as I shifted in place, dull aches emanating from my hips and core. Scrunching my face, I reached up and rubbed my face while moving myself into a sitting position. Blinking in confusion, I was met with the interior space of Thawne’s lounge room. How did I end up here?

Still slightly out of it, I dropped my legs from where they were stretched out and immediately felt muscle soreness. My head dropped down to stare at my hurting legs and the very first thing I saw was the torn buttons of my blouse. My heart skipped a beat as my fingers then brushed against the black blazer I was apparently wearing. 

His. 

Next I noticed that my bare feet were touching the cold concrete floor of the room. My head swiveled around, looking for my precious leather boots and socks. I found them sitting on the floor at the other end of the couch. 

“The next energy flare will happen at twelve forty three tomorrow afternoon.” Thawne’s voice spoke up making my head snap in that direction. He sat in one of the lounge chairs, legs crossed and a glass in hand. His electric chair tucked away in the corner of the room. “You can go home then.”

My cheeks flooded with heat as my fingers dug into the fabric of the couch I had been laying on, memories of exactly how I ended up in this predicament fresh in my mind. Pursing my lips, I held the blazer closed to cut off the view of my marked chest and bra. 

“Why?” I questioned him slowly. “Why bother? Wouldn’t it just be easier to get rid of me?”

His lips quirked into a half smirk as he continued to lounge in his seat. 

“You, my little song bird,” Thawne started with a curl of his lips. “Are far more interesting than I initially thought.”

He took a sip while I scowled at him. 

“That isn’t an answer and you know it.” I responded crisply, he simply smiled and pushed his glasses back up his nose. 

“But it is the only one I will give you.” I let out an annoyed huff before dropping back against the couch. I was tired, still feeling the effects of Eobard Thawne between my legs, and there was nothing to do until tomorrow.

“This doesn’t mean I forgive you and all is forgotten,” I mumbled, trying and failing to sound pissed. His eyebrow popped up and his lips twisted into a teasing smile. 

“Oh I don’t expect you to. You would be a fool to, and that’s what makes you smart Octavia.” Thawne replied in a rare instance of praise. “I suggest you get some sleep, time travel isn’t effortless as you now know.” 

Huffing at him, I flopped back down on the couch, holding the blazer close to my body for a source of comfort. I had… relations… with enemy number one of Team Flash, how could I ever look in their eyes again? Curling up, I tried to go sleep like he advised.

“I can feel you staring,” I stated, not opening my eyes. “Can you not?” 

“Is it bothering you?”

“Immensely,” I ground out, my teeth nearly grinding together.

“Too bad,” 

I could just imagine the little amused smirk on his handsome face as he ignored my words. Oh well, it was worth a try. Grabbing one of the pillows and pulling it back over to my head, I set my head down on it and actually tried to get some sleep.

Sleep didn’t come easy, but I did mange to fall asleep despite being in the presence of one Eobard Thawne. The next morning, I woke covered with a star labs blanket and only felt even more confused and stressed. I felt like Eobard Thawne was giving me whiplash, because deep down I knew that the moment I ceased to be of interest I would be expendable, and yet some part of me still longed for his sharp touch.

Shaking my head and rubbing healed neck, I stared at the clock in the room that read twelve forty one. Two minutes left before the energy surge would give me a chance to head home. I started pacing, rubbing my arm and wondering what the hell I was going to tell Barry and the others. 

I was lucky enough that I healed so fast all evidence of what happened last night was erased while I slept. That certainly saved me from the embarrassment of explaining how exactly I had gotten the multitude of rather intense markings on my body. 

Turning back around to go pace back across the room I sat that Thawne had rolled himself into the cortex.

“Seeing me off?” I questioned dryly. “How magnanimous of you.”

His lips curved into a hint of a smile as he pulled his glasses down from his nose and looked at the lenses. 

“I think I enjoy this confident side of you, Miss Turner. Have a safe trip.” I rolled my eyes as the energy in the room shifted and the swirling energy appeared. I walked for it and just before I went to merge with it he spoke again. “I look forwards to finding out just how much I can make you sing, little song bird.” 

“You’ll have to catch me first,” I responded, my lips stretching out into a smirk of my own before I surged forwards, diving into the energy mass.


	12. Birds of a Feather (Eowells/Eobard Thawne)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Birds of a Feather:** Vanessa Hunter is a bird rehabilitator in Central City, and always felt more comfortable with the avian than any feline or canine. On the night of the particle accelerator explosion, she had been working with one of her hawks, and the blast caused her DNA to fuse with the very bird she had been rehabilitating. Now armed with wings, perfect eyesight, and overly sensitive hearing, Vanessa flies to the one place where she could get help rather than be turned into a lab rat. Star Labs. What she doesn’t expect, however, is to get far to close to a certain scientist, and have her heart stolen.  
>  **Warnings:** Language, shorter explicit scene 18+ please (be safe, wrap it up pls), not 100% accurate bird stuff (please understand I neither own one, nor did I take any classes regarding the avian species), possible graphic imagery.  
>  **To Note:** A/Uish, Eowells x OC, Eobard Thawne x OC, Part 1/2

Standing in front of my bathroom mirror, I felt like Warren Worthington from X-Men, fearful of what grew out of my back, and deathly afraid of what would happen to me if someone found out. It had started the night of the particle accelerator explosion, I had been caring for an immature Cooper's Hawk for the last few weeks after it had been hit by a car, fractured a wing and broke part of his beak.

The infant hawk had certainly been a spitfire to rehabilitate, but I had dealt with bigger, and stronger, birds in my career, and intensive care on part, and lots of patience, I got the bird mellow enough to tolerate my presence in his temporary habitat.

Part of the problem I faced was that there was a road burn injury on his puffed chest I had to periodically check and apply ointment. He neither appreciated my hands on him, or me manhandling him so I could actually get the ointment on in the first place. When I did manage to get a blanket over his head, he seemed to calm down some, but the bird never liked to stay in one place for too long. I didn’t blame him, I’d be antsy too if I was stuck in a cage while my injuries healed.

On the night of the accident, I had finally gotten the hawk to settle on my gloved hand as I prepared to apply another dose of ointment to his chest. When the blast hit, it threw me and the bird into the air, knocking me out for at least an hour. 

When I came back to, my entire body hurt, I had a headache, and my ears were ringing. I didn’t see the hawk in sight, and considering that the habitat now had a huge tear in the roof, I figured he probably flew off. My supervisor had given me clear instructions to go home and get some rest since I looked like I had been tossed around. 

From there things only got worse, my ears were incredibly sensitive to all sounds, their frequency seemingly increased, every time I kept my eyes open I got a mother of all headaches, and my back burned in pain like something wanted to burst free from my skin. I felt like I had the mother of all flu’s, and then some.

Then one morning, I woke up to perfect vision, no aches in my body, and hearing that allowed me to listen to the conversation of my neighbor, three apartments down. My back still burned, and the feeling of something wanting to crawl out persisted, but I felt so much better, my body even felt light as a feather.

My relief was short lived, because the moment I entered my bathroom and looked in the mirror, a shriek left my lips and I was stumbling backwards, tripping over the side of my tub and falling ass first into the plastic, dragging the shower curtain down with me. 

I had never been a particularly attractive person, I knew that much, rounded cheeks, droll eyes, dull hair, and a body that could stand to lose twenty, maybe even thirty pounds. I wasn’t happy with my body, or self image, but I didn’t exactly hate it either. It just… was.

But now I looked like I had dropped forty pounds, my clothes hung off my frame, several sizes to big, my face had sharp lines, not one ounce of fat to pad it, my hair shone like I had spent hours brushing and oiling it, and my downturned eyes had lifted up at the ends to give me an exotic look. 

But those were not what had me shrieking and falling on my ass like the uncoordinated person I usually was. It was my eyes, my dull brown eyes had lightened up to a shade of molten metallic gold that shimmered in a predatory gaze.

I had pulled myself to my feet to take a second look at myself, and my usual grunt of effort never happened as I popped up with the grace, beauty, and strength of a ballerina. It had been effortless, and my body literally felt like I weighed nothing. 

It had taken me at least twenty minutes to make sure that I wasn’t going crazy, and then another hour when I had decided to change out of my sleepwear, and found that none of my clothing fit my now extremely lithe and skinny body. 

I was thin as a rail, flat, toned, stomach, not an ounce of body fat clinging to any part of my body, and nothing in my closet looked decent on my changed body. Not even my bras and underwear. Finding something to wear that didn’t look ridiculously big on me was hard, but eventually I managed with a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. 

Rather than feeling like I wanted to panic, some part of my brain switched over to cool, calm, and collected. I didn’t understand what was going on, but I wasn’t frightened like I should be, a feeling on confidence had taken over my body, and I never felt confident like that. 

Long story short, I had to buy a completely new wardrobe, my coworkers were astonished by my appearance, but nonetheless happy for me, and the burning feeling in my back only intensified. Not only had my body completely changed, every step I took felt like I was walking on air, but my mindset too. 

I was confident, astute, sharper than I had ever been, and walked around with assertiveness in my steps. I was like a completely different woman, and in the back of my mind, that scared me. One night, I could no longer take the burning, itching sensation in my back and ended up taking a shower to distract myself. 

It worked.

One moment I was concentrating on letting the feeling out of my body, and the next I was screaming in agony as the sounds of something ripping through flesh reached my sensitive ears. Dropping to the floor of my shower, my entire body shuddering, I stared as the shower water turned blood red, and little trails of the crimson liquid ran down my body. 

The agony lessened as the pressure of release faded, and something draped across my back, settling against my bare skin. Shivering from the echos of pain, I twisted my head to see a blanket of feathers, freshly covered with blood and other bodily fluids draped across my body. 

Wings. I had wings coming out of my back, the same coloring and pattern as the Cooper's Hawk I had been holding moments before the explosion. From that point on, I started connecting the dots to my bodily changes, and the makings of a hawk. 

Enhanced sight, incredible hearing, incredibly light bones, heck, even my eye color now matched that of the Hawk’s. It was like I had fused with it. From there nothing scared me more than someone finding out that I had wings, and wanting to dissect me. 

Which leads me to staring at myself in the mirror, holding my wings close to my body as I concentrated on forcing them back into my body. I found that they could be shut away if I wanted to, hence the feeling of something needing to be released, but it wasn’t entirely comfortable.

Oh how I wanted to take a giant pair of clippers and cut them off, end my misery and pain. But another part of me refused to do so, and wanted to embrace the new me with pride and joy. I was beautiful, my wings were magnificent, able to carry me in flight, and reflected the Cooper's Hawk’s wings to a T. The least I could do was respect the hawk by taking care of the wings that I had been given. 

My wings finally slipped away, appearing on my shoulders and backs of my arms as tattoos. Letting out a shuddering breath, I grabbed my hair brush and started vigorously brushing my crazy hair. After having spent a long weekend alone, and planning on how to get help, I had come up with a solution after talking with a woman at Jitter’s. 

Apparently her foster brother had been struck by lightning the night of the explosion, and weird things had been happening to the hospital he was in, and he was at the center of it all. Iris had explained that she and her father let Dr. Wells take Barry back to Star Lab to be under observation there until he woke up.

Which he did, but he seemed different, more energized, more upbeat, or at least more upbeat than usual Barry. Iris had told me all about him one afternoon over coffee, and I pretty much knew almost everything about him at this point. 

If anyone could help me, it would be the people who helped build the particle accelerator, or at least help me understand what was going. After spending over a year hiding what had happened to me, and not going to the doctors for my usual checkups and exams, it was time I got help.

With my hair brushed back out to its sleek, wavy, and shiny chocolate brown color, I set the brush down and headed for my closet to get the jacket I wore religiously. I had long since learned that if my emotions got too out of control, my wings would just pop out by themselves, so I found a heavy jacket to wear that would always remind me to keep my emotions in check. 

I had shredded enough shirts as it was, the last thing I needed was to shred some more. At this point I was pretty sure the people in the shopping district thought I was a shopaholic at this point. Grabbing the jacket, I tossed it on my bed before grabbing a button down t-shirt and buttoning it up on my body. 

Layers, they helped me focus, even if I ended up sweltering underneath all of the fabric. With the shirt on, I shouldered the jacket and zipped it up before grabbing my boots and heading for the front door to my apartment. 

Quickly shoving my feet into the boots and fixing my scratched up jeans so they were tucked away, I grabbed my keys, my phone, my sunglasses, and my wallet before leaving the apartment. Using my hair as a curtain to hide my sharp facial features, I slipped my sunglasses on to hide my unique and beautiful eyes and drew up the hood to my jacket as I headed for the elevator. 

Entering the elevator, I pressed the first floor button and listened to the hissing, clicks, and groans of the elevator as it moved, and tuned out the arguments and conversations I could heard from the other residents in the apartment complex. 

It never ended. The sounds were always there, and at first, I had been reduced to tears from the overwhelming amount of feedback I was receiving. Having sensitive ears was not fun, even if I could hear someone grumbling to themselves a hundred feet away it was as if they had shouted it right next to me. 

Loud, abrasive, assaulting, I didn’t know how birds or other hearing sensitive creatures dealt with the noises of the city. I know I sure didn’t. Even with the pair of ear muffs I wore when I tried to sleep didn’t minimize the sounds like I wanted them to. 

The elevator rang out, echoing in my ears like a high pitched shrill of a fire alarm as the doors opened to the first floor. Hurrying forwards, I kept my head down as I passed the front desk and left the building. I took a bus to the station nearest the lab, and from there I walked. 

Since the explosion, FEMA had closed off the lab, marking it as a hazard sight. There was only a few ways in, and even then not just anyone could get past the fences. So with a little bit of help from my enhanced strength and lightness, I scaled up the fence and dropped down on the other side light as a feather, making no sound at all. 

Picking my way across the almost abandoned building, I scurried for the nearest door under the cover of night. Reaching the front door, I let myself into the building and paused, listening for the sounds of people. 

“Well Barry’s metabolism is so fast if he doesn’t eat these puppies he’s going to keep passing out.” One voice said while another scoffed. 

“Did you taken in his height, weight, and body index when calculating his caloric needs? Just because we know he needs more, doesn’t mean we know exactly how much he needs to sustain optimal function.” A female snipped out before the two of them got into an argument over caloric needs and the biology and math behind how to calculate the exact quantity Barry needed per hour. 

I could hear the faint hum of a machine, and the rolling of wheels, and figured that must be Dr. Wells himself in his electric chair. He was most likely watching the two people argue about caloric intake, Kilocalories, and a bunch of other science things I didn’t understand.

Other than those three people, I couldn’t sense, or hear anyone else in the building, so I decided to head in the direction of the voices. It wasn’t hard to find them, my internal sense of direction alighted with that of a bird led me straight to them, their loud voices aside. 

Coming up to a doorway, I could see Dr. Wells sitting in his chair at the far end of the room, pinching his forehead, and most likely trying to figure out the actual answer to the problem, while the two arguing people continued to argue, mindless of my lingering presence in the doorway.

Watching the two argue was almost comedic, my sharp eyes picking up every twitch of muscle they made and every swing of an arm, or wave of a hand. While observing them, I caught Dr. Wells finally realizing that I standing just inside the room. 

“Ramon, Dr. Snow.” Dr. Wells called out, as I swept my eyes over to him. He was studying me, interest and intrigue in his eyes. “We have a guest, I’m sure she didn’t come here to be subjected to one of your arguments.” 

Standing in a guarded position, I cleared my throat as the two turned to look at me. 

“Oh, uh—“ The man stumbled out. “Can we help you? I mean we aren’t really open to the public since the explosion…”

“I didn’t come here for that,” I spoke, my voice traveling across the room clear yet soft. A black eyebrow popped up as he looked to the woman standing next to him in confusion. “I need your help.” 

“Help,” The woman repeated to me, her eyes darting to Dr. Wells. “What do you need help with? We aren’t a hospital and we are technically closed.” 

“The type of help that has to do with the particle accelerator.” I stated bluntly, cutting to the chase. “And if anyone can help me with my… predicament, it’d be you.” 

They all seemed to perk up at the mention of the particle accelerator. The man standing pointed a finger at me, giving me a quizzical look. 

“…Are you a meta?” He questioned, I stared blankly at him before raising an eyebrow. 

“I have no idea what that means.” The woman rolled her eyes before turning to face me. 

“What kind of problem are you having?” Problem… more like problems, but at this point it was easiest to show, rather than tell. My fingers drew down my jacket hood, making my hair tumble around my shoulders. I worked on my jacket next. 

Slipping the jacket off, I tossed it to a nearby table before working on my buttons. I could tell that my actions had them confused so I hurried up my pace, whipping my shirt off and throwing it on top of my jacket.

That left me in my jeans, boots, and tank top, reaching up, I withdrew my sunglasses and folded them up in my hand. 

“Ohhhhkayyyy, so you’re beautiful?” The man questioned, tilting his head to the side. I rolled my golden eyes before looking up and rolling my shoulder, holding in the wince as my wings slipped free from my back and lightly beat the air before folding against my back.

The woman’s jaw actually dropped open while the man let out a started yell, making me finch and scrunch my nose as the pitch hurt my ears and echoed in my head. 

“If you don’t mind, could you try to be quieter? My ears have gotten a lot more sensitive since this happened a year ago.” I said in a gentle voice. The woman started walking over, her hand running across her iPad at an impossible speed. 

“You said this happened a year ago?” She asked, interest in her eyes as she approached me. I nodded. “Whereabouts, what time, do you remember the day, who you were with? Were you holding anything?” 

“Dr. Snow,” Dr. Wells called out, halting the woman’s onslaught of questions as he wheeled himself over. “I believe we should allow some space for our guest to breathe, before questioning her about the intimacies of her abilities.” 

“Right, sorry,” The woman said, trying to tone down her excitement, she offered her hand. “Dr. Caitlin Snow, I’m a biochemist here at the lab.”

“Vanessa Hunter,” I offered as I took her hand and shook it. “Avian rehabilitator down at the aviary.”

“You work with birds?” The excitable man asked. “Talk about irony.” 

“Accipiter cooperii, if you want to be technical.” I mused with a soft snort. “I was working with one the night of the explosion, next thing I know I’m on the ground, feeling like someone used me as a punching bag, and my hawk is gone.”

“Dr. Snow, I believe we might get some answers from genetic testing.” Dr. Wells spoke up, tapping his glasses against his lips as he studied me. “Was the hawk immature or an adult?”

My eyebrow popped up at his question, only someone who knew something about birds and their stages would understand the significance behind age in relation to feather color. 

“Immature,” I responded before stretching out my right wing to show off the brown feathers with barring across them in a multitude of shades. “Quite remarkably similar to these.” 

“Well you came to the right place,” Dr. Snow said with a small smile. “If anyone can figure this out, it’s us.” 

*****

As it turned out, I had hawk DNA in my own, causing several major changes in my body. Other than my wings, my hearing, and eyesight, my bones were just like that of a bird, light weight for flying, would break easily, but my reflexes had improved insurmountable that the cons of my transformation were out weighted by the pros. 

Integrating with the team at Star Labs wasn’t hard, I spent all of my free time there, working out or having Dr. Wells run tests on my strengths and weaknesses, helping me to adapt to living a life with wings, rather than cowering in my apartment and hiding away from the world. 

I think the most fun I’ve had was in the wind tunnel that had been constructed to test my overall aerodynamics and to see how long my wings would hold my weight. In truth, not very long, at least at beginning, my wing strength came with practice and many hours of pushing myself long after everyone went home.

Cisco had gotten it in his head that I could potentially become someone like Barry, a vigilante who helped people out in the city. I had several advantages to that, my wings, my reflexes, my speed, my hearing and eyesight, I had so many gifts that could be used for good.

Cisco had jokingly called me Nike, after the greek goddess, then proceeded to geek out about making my vigilante name Nike while the rest of us rolled our eyes. I was fairly sure that he had started working on a suit, but so far, he’d been very secretive about what he was working on.

Currently, I was in the wind tunnel, working on my wing strength, and avoiding electrical shots Cisco had rigged up so I could work on not getting shot while flying… I had questioned why I would be getting shot at and Cisco had gone quiet, thinking about it for a minute before shrugging and patting my shoulder. Apparently it wouldn’t hurt, so he was going to shoot at me to his hearts content. 

The thin film over my eyes offered a buffer from the high winds as I flew into them, twisting about in the air, and special hearing aids Cisco had made for me protected my ears from loud noises or unwanted background conversation. Life certainly had improved since coming here, and not once had I felt like a freak for having enormous wings that popped out of my back. 

Angling sharply to the left, I didn’t quite move far enough out of the way and the electrical dart hit me in the arm. With a loud yelp, I plummeted from the air as my body twitched from the current. Before I landed in a jumble of limbs and wings, my senses and reflexes righted myself and I dropped down onto all fours. 

Groaning, I gripped the dart and yanked it out of my shoulder, before pushing up and sitting back on my shins as Caitlin came bustling in, no doubt to double check that I hadn’t broken anything in my fall. My wings fluttered behind me shortly before I pulled them flush against my back and rubbed the back of my neck. 

“You okay?” Caitlin asked, pointing a device at me while she stared at her iPad. 

“Besides getting zapped by Cisco’s crazy creation? Perfectly fine,” I grumbled before letting out a sigh. “Not exactly my most graceful moment but nothing feels broken.” 

“I told him to turn down the voltage on those darts,” Caitlin huffed as she tucked her little scanner away. “If they knock you out of the air then its too strong!” 

“I see it as more of an incentive to not get hit,” I muttered dryly as I lurched to my feet and stretched my wings out, shaking them all the way out to their fourteen foot wingspan. Enjoying the stretch, I sighed out before refolding them against my tank top. “I guess we’re done?” 

“Yeah, no way am I letting you potentially get shocked a second time tonight.” Caitlin snorted before turning on her heel and marching out of the wind tunnel. I followed her out, taking my hairband out of my hair and running my fingers through my wind blow strands. 

It was late, I was tired, I’m sure Dr. Wells was tired of watching me flap around against a wind current, and Barry needed backup on his nightly activities. As Caitlin stalked through the halls, heading for the cortex, Dr. Wells came rolling out of the observation room, rolling up next to me. 

“I’ll be monitoring Barry,” Caitlin threw over her shoulder before disappearing. I came to a stop and let out a breath, Dr. Wells wheeled around me and stopped so he was facing me. 

“You were distracted today, Miss Hunter,” He commented, his blue eyes watching me closely, and as usual, distracting me. “Is there something on your mind?” 

Yes, very much so. I wondering why I always felt your eyes on me, I wondered if you find me distracting like I found you. I wondered what your hands would feel like on my wings, I wondered what ran through your mind when you looked at me with that intense, thinking look.

I wondered so many things, but kept my silence, never once revealing how I was really feeling, or how I found him and his brain ridiculously attractive. That was a no go area, he was practically my boss at this point, and heavens knew what would happen if I ever did something to embarrass myself in front of him. 

At times it felt like we were flirting with each other, and others we were completely professional. Never have I been so confused about one man. He made me want to preen my feathers, yet tear my hair out at the same time. 

I blinked. 

“I suppose, I do have a lot on my mind lately,” I answered, not lying, but not answering him directly. He knew I was avoiding the subject. After all, he was a very smart man, and nothing escaped his observation. “I won’t be as distracted next time though, promise.” 

With those words, I scurried in the cortex, leaving him to mull over my words, and probably pick me apart until he got his answers. Walking up to the many computers, I stared down at the map of the city, and the red dot that represented Barry. 

“How’s Barry?” I questioned, my eyes scanning the multitude of screens and readings, half of which I still didn’t understand what they meant. 

“Still holding out,” Cisco replied, chewing on a Twizler. He held up the red bag. “Want one?” 

“You know what happens when I eat sugar, Francisco.” I replied, giving him a look. He huffed at me for using his full name before returning his eyes to the screens. 

“So my iPad says you got hit tonight,” Cisco drawled out. My eyes dropped down to the red mark on my shoulder, there was a trail of blood from it and already the wound had scabbed over. 

“It’ll be healed by tomorrow.” I grumbled crossing my arms. “Did you have to tune them to such a high voltage? You literally shocked my ass out of the air.” 

“Really?” Cisco asked, taking another bite of Twizler. “Cause I could have sworn I turned it down.” 

“Cisco!” I exclaimed, giving him a look while he rolled his eyes at me. 

“What? You heal fast don’t you?” 

“That doesn’t mean you can zap me to galore!” I growled at him as Dr. Wells rolled into the cortex. “It does hurt you know!” 

*****

I was out patrolling Central City, wearing the fancy suit Cisco had cooked up in his lab. It was aerodynamic, improved my speed, and protected my skin from the cold air. It was pretty much like Barry’s suit, only much thinner, lightweight so I wasn’t weighed down, and black so I didn’t stick out in the sky. 

Coasting in the air, my wings making micro adjustments in the winds and currents, I looked down at the city, using my enhanced sight to look for any trouble. It was a dark night, the moon barely a sliver in the skyline as I coasted. 

Cisco and Caitlin were quiet in my ear, leaving me to my own devices while assisting Barry with whatever they had him up to tonight. My eyes caught sight of a flash of yellow in a more abandoned part of the city, and focusing on that area, I could see the familiar pulses of electricity of a speedster. 

Only one speedster had a trail that color, and he was currently team flash’s enemy. I had never met him, but according to Barry and Cisco, the Reverse Flash was terrifying. Twisting in the air and drawing myself out of coasting, I flapped momentarily in the air before going into a nose dive towards Reverse Flash. 

We had been trying so hard to follow along with Dr. Wells orders to leave the yellow speedster alone and focus on the tasks at hand, but my bird like curiosity along with my hawk personality made me fearless. I was determined to get something on him. 

“Hey Nike!” Cisco called over the coms. “What’d you spot?”

“Reverse Flash, heading in for a closer look, stand by,” I barked back as flared my wings, halting my sudden descent and going into a glide one more. 

“What? Wait Nessa, Dr. Wells doesn’t want—“

“It’s not like Dr. Wells is my official boss Cisco!” I hissed back as I let my feet drop to a roof and my eyes searched for the yellow lightning once more. “Going radio silent.”

I turned off the coms with a press of my fingers before catching sight of the bright yellow speedster. I didn’t know what he was doing, but I hoped my presence was enough to bait him into conversation. 

Taking a step off the roof, I let my body dropped to the asphalt, my light as air body bouncing on the ground as I popped up to my feet and kept my wings at the ready behind my back. Walking forwards, my braided hair was ruffled as the streak of yellow burst from my right and came to a vibrating stop in front of me. 

The glowing red eyes would be unnerving to anyone, but with hawk DNA in me, not much scared me, or intimidated. That was good, and bad. Good because I wasn’t jumpy anymore, bad because I could never tell if I was getting myself into something I wouldn’t be able to get out of.

Shifting my wings so I could blast out of there at a moments noticed, my hawkish eyes studied him, noticing every feature they landed on. 

“Who are you?” I questioned, keeping myself poised for any retaliation he might send my way. The Reverse Flash cocked his head at me before a garbled voice answered me. 

“Someone you don’t want to get in the way of, Little Bird,” I made no reaction to the nickname, but noted how cordial he was being with me at the moment, I had to get enough information to justify going against Dr. Wells orders. He might not be my boss, but I felt a certain amount of gratitude to the man, and obeying his orders was a way to thank him. 

“I’d prefer a name,” I commented, crossing my arms and giving him a slight attitude, giving him the air of confidence and relaxation, and the impression that he did not scare me. The human side of me was of course terrified, but the hawk won over this round. 

In a fraction of a second, he was speeding over to me, looming directly in front of me and staring down into my golden eyes which shone brightly in the dark night. 

“And why should I tell you when you are bound to go flying back to your friends and spill every little detail I say?” Good point. I rocked back on my heels, my lips quirking in challenge. 

“You don’t,” I responded with a teasing tone. “But I’m curious, someone who’s faster than the Flash? It makes me wonder what type of man is underneath that suit.”

“Don’t you know what they say about curiosity?” 

“That’s for cats, clearly I am not one.” 

“The little bird has a bite,” 

“Hmm,” I mused, lifting my chin. “Try talons, good for ripping into suits and flesh.”

“Oh aren’t you fun,” He chuckled, his lips curving into a smirk. “I haven’t met someone with this much backbone in decades.” 

“I’m a bird of prey, backbone and fearlessness come with the territory.” 

“Clearly,” He responded, his smirk still spread across his lips. “And how magnificent you are, standing up to me when I could end your life before you even blink.” 

“Please, you would have already done so if you wanted,” I cooed back before placing my hands on his chest and tip toeing my fingers upwards. “I’m already going to get my assed chewed out for letting my curiosity getting the better of me and coming down to find you. Might as well enjoy this while I can.” 

“You are walking a fine line, Little Bird,” My lips curved in a half smile as I stared up into fuzzy red eyes. “That curiosity will get you killed if you aren’t careful.” 

“You might want to be careful yourself,” I threw back, my smile stretching into a smirk. “I’m not the only one who’s interest is piqued.” 

With a final smirk on my lips, I surged upwards, using his shoulders to propel my body into the air while spreading my massive wings and creating a whirling vortex of air and dried leaves. Hands just barely skimmed my boots as I shot into the air and flapped my wings as hard as I could to gain altitude as quickly as possible. 

*****

Well, clearly Dr. Wells wasn’t happy with me, had scowled at me for an hour while I chilled out at the cortex, waiting for Barry to finish his night. He might not have chewed me out for going after the Reverse Flash, but I could tell he wasn’t happy with me. Despite my forbidden and strange feelings for him and our occasional flirtyness with each other, I did feel like we had become close friends while learning what exactly had happened to me, and I knew that I wouldn’t be the same woman today without him. 

When it came time for the next training session, he asked me why I had done it, clearly violating what he had told me. I responded that a birds curiosity is usually what gets them into trouble, and that was it. I didn’t tell anyone of what transpired between me and the Reverse Flash. It had been a short meeting, nothing really said except for a banter of words, trying to pick and goad each other into doing something.

A few weeks went by since the incident with Reverse Flash, and I had yet to spot him, and soon the meeting faded from my mind as I became busier with meta’s causing problems. My current task involved a meta with super strength who was trying to break into a bank. 

Barry was busy with a building fire on the other side of the city, so that left me to go solo on this one. With Caitlin coaching me from the cortex, I hopped, skipped, and dived around the massive meta, avoiding his blows that I had no doubt would shatter my bones if they landed. 

But I wasn’t completely at his mercy, I had enhanced strength too, I was faster, and I had Cisco’s gadgets. I just had to get the meta cuffs on him before he smacked me around too hard. So that’s where I land, leaping out of the way and using my wings to carry me up out of his reach as he once more swung his fist where I had been standing seconds ago. 

I landed behind him and kicked him hard in the back, trying to get his large and heavy body off balance. I didn’t expect him, however, to twist around and reach for my wing. His hand closed around the edge of my left wing, and I instantly felt a crushing force break my brittle bones. 

Biting down on a scream, I was instantly whipping my foot at his head, it nailed him in the head, and he went stumbling backwards, releasing my wing which now felt like it was on fire. Growling at me, he lurched back to his feet. Time to end this as quick as possible, no matter what the cost. 

I swung the electric whip Cisco had fashioned for me, wrapping it around the meta’s neck before flicking my wrist and forcing him to his knees. He gasped from the tightness of my whip before his hands went to the whip. 

Before he had a chance to yank on it, and send me flying, I activated the electrical current in the whip. His meaty fists immediately let go of the cord as he started twitching and yelling out in pain. Taking this as my chance, I grabbed the meta cuffs and darted over to his right wrist, I locked it around his wrist before side flipping over his back, dragging his arm behind his back as I reached for his left hand.

Getting it in my grip, I slapped the remaining cuff on his wrist and activated the meta dampening properties. Shoving the meta to the ground face first, I flicked the whip, turning off the electrical current as I planted one foot on his back to make sure he stayed down while the police came to collect him. 

“You—“

“Bitch? Yes, I know,” I said, cutting him off and finishing his statement. “But might I remind you that robbing a bank is illegal?” 

“Oh fuck yo—“ I tightened the whip a fraction of an inch in warning, and to cut off his words as several police officer walked over. 

“Excellent work as usual Nike,” One of the officers said as he came trotting up and looked down at the cuffed meta. 

“Word of warning, this one has a mouth on him.” I responded coolly, glaring down at the cuffed meta. “You have it from here?” 

“Yes ma’am,” I released the whip from his neck and pushed away, taking a few steps backwards while pressing my wings to my back, internally flinching at the way the tip of my left wing burned with fire. Something was crushed in there, I could fly back tot he cortex, but it was going to be miserable, and hurt even more.

Tucking the whip back against my waist, I backed up even more, making sure I wasn’t going to hit anyone with my wings, and spread them out. Looking up to the sky, I flapped my wings once, hard, spending my body into the sky. 

I had been right, flapping my left wing with a broken… whatever… was indeed very painful, and by the time I was touching down at the lab, tears wanted to run down my cheeks. Naturally nothing hurt more than the first time I had let out my wings, but flying with a broken wing wasn’t a walk in the park. 

Letting my wing trail on the cool floor, rather than be tucked against my back in a position that would hurt more, I dragged my body to the cortex where Caitlin and Cisco would be. Stumbling into the cortex, I groaned in pain as I lurched over to the curved table. 

“Vanessa!” Caitlin exclaimed, shrining from her seat as Cisco put down his drink and stood up. “What happened?” 

“Meta got his hand on my wing and gave it a squeeze,” I responded, pulling my wing up and flaring it a little so Caitlin could see the bloody soaked feathers where I had been grabbed. “Pretty sure something is broken, or worse, hurt like a bitch flying back.” 

“Alright, medical now, I want a look at your wing, what region is it?” She asked as she helped my hurting body towards the medical bay. 

“Metacarpus, ulnare, radiale, maybe some of the supporting bones, he gave it a firm tug, so I think we better check the ligaments near my back,” I responded as I limped over to the medical gurney. “Hard to tell since I’ve never actually seen a full x-ray of my wing, and I am not entirely familiar with its composition.” 

“Well regardless, I’ll fix it,” Caitlin said as she started gathering supplied. “Cisco, can you roll the side table over next to the bed and grab a spare bedsheet?”

“On it,” Cisco responded before jumping to do what Caitlin asked. While they were doing that, I began to unzip the upper portion of my uniform, peeling the material away from the bases of my wings until I was left sitting with the top pressed against my chest. 

I couldn’t exactly wear a bra with my wings out, so the suit had one built into it, but if Caitlin was going to do a full check of my wing, my shirt was going to have to. Cisco handed me the sheet to cover my chest with. Pulling the top free of my arms, I threw it down behind me as I pressed the sheet against my chest and pulled my wing up to be examined. 

Caitlin came rolling over, sitting on one of the rolling chairs with a pair of glasses with a head light, a couple of alcohol pads, and the x-ray scanner. 

“Is it okay if I move your wing into my lap?” 

“Go ahead,” I groaned, leaning my head back as I lifted my wing so she could duck underneath it. Settling my wing in her lap, I concentrated on the analogue clock at the far side of the room, ticking away with every second that went by. 

My wing stung as she cleared the blood from it and disinfected it. I could tell that a few feathers needed to be pulled, so when they were, I was expecting the pain, and when Caitlin showed me the scan of my bones, my suspicions were confirmed. 

“I’d say it’ll probably take a day, maybe two, for your wing to heal.” Caitlin said, as she tucked her pad away and moved to check the ligaments and muscles where my wings protruded from my back. “But the bleeding already stopped and your skin closed over, so you’re good there. I’m going to have to set those bones so they heal right, but after that you’ll be free to go.”

“Wonderful,” I sighed out, not looking forwards to the pain from having my bones reset. But if they weren’t they’d heal wrong, have to be rebroken, and then set. Just as Caitlin finished up checking the parts near my back, the familiar sound of Dr. Well’s wheelchair greeted my ears, and a minute later he came rolling into the room. Our eyes met as Caitlin started messing with my lower wing again. 

There was a loud crack, and a searing pain ran up my wing, buzzing straight to my spine, causing me to flinch in pain and bite down on my lip. My eyes broke away from blue ones as I hunched over and prepared myself for the next one. 

It hurt just as much as the first, and made me clench my hands into fists as I stifled the groans of pain that wanted to come tumbling out of my mouth. 

“Sorry, last one, I promise,” Caitlin said softly right before snapping the last one into place. I couldn’t help the gasp of pain that was emitted form my mouth as I latched onto the gurney with my right hand. “All done, let me just splint it up, and I’ll leave you alone.” 

My wing was splinted at the injured area and with a small smile and a promise to take it easy to the next few days, Caitlin strode from the room. 

“Thank you, Dr. Snow,” Dr. Wells called as she disappeared through the doorway. He then rolled over to the bedside as I shifted my wing to lightly hang off the edge.

“Not my proudest moment,” I sighed, running a hand through my hair and tugging on the elastic band that kept it in a braid. “But I’ll be back on my wings by Saturday.” 

“That’s not what I’m concerned about, Vanessa.” 

“Then are you here to give me a lecture about letting meta’s get their grubby little paws on my wings?” I questioned, making him roll his eyes, remove his glasses, and pinch his forehead. 

“Why are you so headstrong?” He sighed to himself. “I swear you like making me worry, you might give me high blood pressure one of these days…”

“I thought that’s why you like me,” I responded lightly. He chuckled softly at my words before sliding his glasses back on his nose and reaching for my free hand. Letting him take it, I felt his fingers slide through mine and practically cooed at the touch. 

“I don’t just like you because you are headstrong, Vanessa, there are plenty of things I like about you.” Dr. Wells responded, or I suppose I should be calling him Harrison in my head, since he had insisted on it. “Your wit, intelligence, and fearlessness included.” 

“Hmm, I think you can thank the hawk in me for the fearlessness.” I mused with a smile. “Because the human in me feels like a coward half of the time.”

“You are anything but a coward, Ness.” He reassured me before his eyes drifted to my wing. It didn’t hurt as much now that my bones were in the right position, and healing correctly. Shifting my grip on the sheet to protect my modesty, I looked down at my wing before looking back up at Harrison. 

“You know I always could tell that you want to get your hands on my wings, but you’ve never asked…” I commented, cocking my head to the side. He let out a small snort. 

“I have more respect for you than blatantly asking you to touch your wings, they are an intimate part of your body.”

“But you want to.” I stated, a knowing smile growing on my face. He sighed again and disconnected our hands to rub his forehead. 

“You are so straight forward with your words sometimes, I don’t know what to think,” My eyebrow popped up. I made his mind cease to think on occasion? Well, I consider that payback for all the times he’s done it to me. 

“Harrison, you are one of my closest, and most treasured friends,” I said softly extending my wing so it was in reach. “You’ve helped me when I had no one else to turn to, and I trust you, so if you want to touch them, I won’t object.”

He stared into my eyes, his blue eyes full of inquisition and intrigue, the same two things I often saw on his face. To extend my wing into his reach was a sign of full trust, something I didn’t have much of at the beginning.

“You have absolutely no idea what your words mean, Nessa,” He finally responded before raising his hand and hovering it over the edge of my wing. As his fingers lightly ran over my feathers, my wing shivered and trembled a little. 

His touch was light as they traveled over my ribbed wings, lightly tracing the colors and splatterings of browns and whites. My fingers clutched at the sheet against my chest as my heart pulsated in my chest, echoing what was running through my mind. I loved the feeling of his gentle hands on them, and the way his fingertips caress the ridges and crests of my wings.

A soft sigh escaped my mouth as I closed my eyes and the touch I thought about all the time took my mind from the ache in my broken bones. It felt heavenly and I would give anything to have him gently stroke my wings forever.

“How bad does it hurt?” Harrison’s soft questioned drew me out of my thoughts, his fingers tracing the edges of the splints around the broken portion of my wing. 

“Not that bad now,” I responded, opening my gold eyes and looking his way. “But compared to the first time my wings ripped out of my back, this is like a tickle.”

“Why did it take you so long to seek help?” His eyes bore into mine and I shrunk a little at the intensity, my fingers pressing into my chest. 

“Because I was terrified what people would say when they found out that I grew wings out of my back. A freak with wings, enhanced eyesight, hearing, and brittle bones? I didn’t want to be turned into a science experiment.” 

Harrison let out a sigh, his mind most likely mulling over my words before he reached up and brushed his fingers along my sharp jaw. 

“You are anything but a freak Vanessa,” He told me with unusual softness. “Not just anyone can deal with a change like this, and come out with the grace and beauty you have.”

“Obviously you didn’t see me flop on my face the first time I tried flying.” I answered dryly, giggling at the painful memory. Harrison chuckled with me, shaking his head slightly. 

“Oh I remember that quite distinctly, you broke your nose and were bleeding profusely from it.” He reminded me with a smile. “But you were quite persistent, never giving up until you achieved your goal.” 

“For a whopping five seconds.” I sighed, the memory still fresh in my mind. Harrison laughed at me before brushing his fingers across my long since healed nose. 

“But look where you are now, Ness, who can say they can fly amongst the birds like they are one of them?” 

“You can thank the hawk for that,” I returned dryly. 

*****

“Where exactly did you leave the paperwork?” I questioned into my built in phone in my hearing aid as I walked down the hallway of Star lab, heading to Harrison’s office to retrieve some paperwork he had left behind after he went home. 

“They should be sitting on my desk right next to my monitor, one of my iPad’s is probably resting on top of it.” Harrison responded in my ear as I walked. “They are held by a blue paperclip, shouldn’t be too hard to find, I’m not a messy person, unlike Cisco.”

“Ooh! Shots fired!” I giggled as I turned down the hallway where his office way located. “Don’t tell Cisco, he’ll get defensive and go into a rant about how he knows where everything is, organized chaos he says. I call bullshit on that.” 

“Yeah, but as long as he gets his work done,” Harrison chuckled in return as I walked up to the door and looked at the camera. “Smile for the camera.” 

Looking at the red light, I did as he asked and wiggled my fingers at it while Harrison remotely unlocked his office. Opening the door, I made a beeline for the desk, where I saw several stacks of papers, several tablets, and his computer monitor. My eyes landed on a stack with an iPad on top of them, and a blue paper clip. 

“There they are,” I announced, moving towards the pile. “Anything else you want me to grab while I’m out? Dinner? A coffee from Jitters?” 

“You aren’t my personal butler, Ness.”

“Never said I was,” I responded as I moved the tablet and gathered the papers in my arms. “I’ll be at your house in ten with the papers.” 

I heard him sigh and grumble some more shortly before I ended the call and headed for the roof top exit. It was a clear night, and judging by Harrison’s words, he hadn’t eaten yet, and neither had I so that meant stopping by our favorite burger place. 

Reaching the roof, I unfurled my wings and gave them a few flaps to stretch them out before leaping into the air. I flew to the nearest Big Belly Burger, dropping down in a back alley before quickly running in and ordering some food. Six minutes later I was tucking the food into the small backpack I used when I went flying, and nestled the papers in the next pocket over, protecting them from any spills. 

Shouldering the backpack and making sure that my wings would be able to slip free, I headed back to the darkened ally to fly back up into the air and head to Harrison’s house. Over the months we had gotten closer, I had been over to his house plenty of times, dropping off things on occasion, or to just to pester him about physics and ask him questions about his understanding of the particle accelerator. 

It was all fascinating that one explosion could cause a multitude of variances in the meta genes from Barry’s speed, to my hawk DNA, and the many metas we had come across with abilities to multiply, control the weather, or even turn into gas. 

Harrison Wells was officially the closest friend I had ever had, and the only one whom I still heavily crushed on. Perhaps it was the passion we both shared for our work, or the long conversations we found ourselves falling into, either way there was a certain comfort I felt around him, like he was almost a part of my Kettle.

Well he would be if I had one… which I clearly don’t…

The cold night air bit at my cheeks as I started descending from the clouds, my internal GPS leading me to Harrison’s huge, gorgeous, mansion like house. I landed on the balcony to Harrison’s bedroom and opened the French doors which he kept unlocked for some ungodly reason. 

“You know it’s dangerous to keep that door unlocked,” I spouted out as I stepped into the room and shut the door behind me. Harrison who had been flipping through t.v. channels looked at me over his glasses with a twitch of his lips. 

“Why bother, you’re the only one who uses it.” He responded cheekily as I walked over, withdrawing my wings into my back and siding the backpack carefully off my shoulders.

“Tell me that when someone breaks in,” I shot back smartly before unzipping the pocket with his papers. I pulled them out and offered them. “For you,”

“Thank you very much, Miss Hunter,” He said as he took the papers and riffled through the stack. While he was doing that, I went to the larger pocket of my pack and unzipped it, causing the heavenly scent of Big Belly Burger to fill the room. 

Harrison’s fingers froze on the page he was currently lifting and turned his head my way as I blinked at him, slowly pulling out the Big Belly Burger bag with a straight face. Setting my pack on the floor, I kicked off my sneakers before climbing up onto the bed and sitting down next to him crosslegged with the bag between my legs. 

Undoing the top, I reached in and pulled out a fry before munching on it, the entire time Harrison watching my every moment. As innocently as I could, without laughing, I focused my eyes on the television, and the current commercial playing. 

“I know you didn’t just pull out a Big Belly Burger bag and start eating fries in front of me,” Harrison growled softly, his hands setting the papers I had retrieved for him on the nightstand a little heavier than he probably intended. 

With my hands currently shoving some fries into my mouth, I froze and turned to look at him keeping up the guise of innocences. I chewed and swallowed the fries before grinning at him. 

“Why Dr. Wells, I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about!” I announced, his eyebrow quirked before his hand was daring out for the top of the bag. I jerked it out of reach with an exclamation. “Paws off Doc! These fries are mine!” 

While he fake pouted, I reached further into the bag and pulled out the burger I had gotten him along with his own fries. 

“These, however, are yours,” I added, handing them over with a teasing smirk. With a light snort, Harrison started eating while I picked at my fries. I had the appetite of a bird, I could only eat light meals, and my high metabolism had me eating calorie rich foods just like Barry… just not to the extent he had to go to. 

“Anything good on tonight?” I asked as I dunked a fry into ketchup. 

“Hm, My Fair Lady is on at nine thirty, but other than that, mostly horror movies and terrible soap operas…” Harrison trailed off with a grimace while I cocked my head to the side. 

“Have to say I’ve heard glowing reviews about My Fair Lady, but I’ve never actually watched it…” I answered as I leaned back and wiped my fingers clean with a napkin. “Kind of sounds interesting, what’s the horror movie that’s playing?” 

“Silence of the Lambs.”

“Yeah no, My Fair Lady it is,” Harrison raised an eyebrow up at me, turning his head so his sparkling blue eyes stared at me. 

“Not into horror, Ness?” He asked in a teasing voice while I rolled my eyes and grabbed his empty fry container, stuffing it into the Big Belly Burger bag. 

“Nope, I’d prefer to be able to sleep like a baby at night thank you very much. No horror movies for me, do you know how creepy it can get flying at night?” 

“I thought you feared nothing?” I rolled my eyes at his joking smirk as he handed over his burger wrapper. 

“I am still part human you know,” I reminded him. “That part of me still panics and wants to book it in the other direction.”

“My Fair Lady it is,” Harrison announced, flipping to the channel. It was nine twenty two, so we watched the rest of the program that was finishing up. I got settled against the pillows and blankets, making a small nest of sorts to curl up in.

As it turned out, My Fair Lady was quite enjoyable to watch, but after having a full day booked with running around the aviary and working with several birds, I was exhausted. Halfway through the film my head started dropping and my eyelids grew heavy. My head flopped to the side, landing on Harrison’s shoulder as I let out a soft, tired sigh. 

I didn’t remember watching the ending, or falling asleep, my head still on Harrison’s shoulder, but somewhere in the recess of my mind echoed a hazy memory of fingers gently running through my brown hair. 

Jerking awake at the sudden shift in sound, my face lifted off a soft shirt as I drowsily blinked and looked around. 

Still in Harrison’s bedroom, but the television had been turned off and the clock on the wall read that it was sometime after twelve. Letting out a sigh, I rubbed my tired eyes with my left hand.

“You missed the ending,” Harrison’s sleepy voice said, turning my head to the right, I saw that I had practically sprawled myself against his side and deemed him my pillow. 

“And you should have woken me up,” I returned, quirking an eyebrow and slowly moving to extract my body from his side. The arm that I hadn’t noticed resting on my hip tightened, making me pause in my endeavor. “Harrison?” 

“Stay,” He implored quietly. “It’s after twelve, you’re exhausted, and in no condition to be flying yourself home.” 

Leaning my head back, I looked up into his eyes with a soft frown. The thought was temping, awfully temping considering all I wanted to do was fall back asleep against his side, but was it right? No most definitely not. 

“But—“ I cut myself off as he reached up and gently took my chin, ever so briefly running his thumb across my sensitive lower lip. Any further words were lost on my tongue as I found myself tongue tied and reeling underneath his touch. 

“Please?” He asked, the classic Wells persistence showing its face. His deep blue eyes burned into mine, almost doing the begging for him.

“Well I— I really shouldn’t, I mean it wouldn’t… I wouldn’t want to…” I trailed off, stumbling over the words to say to refuse. In all honesty, I didn’t, I wanted to stay as long as he would have me, but at the same time I absolutely didn’t want to step over our friendship boundaries and think this was something when it wasn’t. 

“Vanessa,” Harrison spoke, breaking my muttered bubbling and excuses. “Whatever it is that is stopping you from saying yes, stop worrying over it.” 

Be still my beating heart, for you are going to run away and I’ll have to follow your bloody trail. 

“For a man as intelligent as your are, you are not nearly as smart as you think.” I whispered, my ears turning red. Harrison chuckled at me before moving his hand up along the curve of my jaw. 

“You want to bet on that?” 

“I know better than to make bets against scientists.” I responded weakly before falling silent, unsure of what to do next. I stared up into his eyes, the startling blueness drawing me in until it was all I could think about. 

My heart pounded in my chest as he leaned down, and I found myself unconsciously stretching upwards. Our lips met and I thought I was going to evaporate right there on the spot. How many nights had I lain awake, staring at the ceiling of my bedroom while wondering if his lips really felt as soft as they looked?

Countless, and yet all those dreams didn’t even come close to the real thing. The bird in me preened in happiness as our lips moved against each other like we had kissed a thousand times before. My golden eyes fluttered shut and I got lost.

Lost in the way his arms felt so strong, yet gentle around my thin and brittle body, lost in the smell of whatever cologne clung to him long after he had ditched his daywear from the lab. Lost in the fantasy I never dreamed of coming true.

The arm wrapped around my waist and firmly holding my side tensed milliseconds before he was plucking me from the spot I had fallen asleep in. With effortless precision, I found myself straddling his lap, my hands lightly pressing into his shirt. Harrison now had both of his hands on my body, slipping his fingertips underneath my shirt and pressing them into my skin. 

My confidence soared and I found myself taking the initiative, my fingers seductively sliding up his chest, feeling the muscles hidden beneath the cloth as I draped my arms over his shoulders and pressed myself flush against him. Opening my mouth, I dived right into a need filled, heavy kiss Harrison had zero problems reciprocating. 

Our mouths bit and pulled at each other while our tongues teased each other, neither of us content to concede control. His hands pushed the hem of my shirt up further and further until his fingertips tickled the lace of my low band bra, voicing his unsaid intentions. 

Pulling away with a heavy breath, I cocked my head to the side at him while my buzzing lips curved into a smirk. 

“If you want my shirt off, Doctor,” I purred, my right hand sliding up his neck to play with the ends of his hair. “Take it off.”

“With pleasure,” Harrison answered gruffly before his hands were pulling the bunched up hem of my shirt up. Raising my hands so the shirt could be pulled from my body, I felt the dense fabric slide over my wrists before being promptly discarded on the floor. Dropping my arms, I dove for the hem of his own shirt, yanking it up his torso and dragging it over his head.

“How the hell are you still single?” I questioned, tossing the shirt to the side and planting my hands on his shoulders, enjoying the way his skin warmed my chilled fingers. His own hands wrapped around my back once more, pulling me into his chest so we were skin on skin. 

“That’s because I’ve been too busy looking at you.” He responded as our noses brushed against each other and our breaths mingled. 

“You’re telling me we could have done this months ago?” I gaped at the thought. All those months of suffering didn’t have to happen if we had just gotten over ourselves and jumped each other. A chuckle left his dangerous lips as he brushed them against mine, and glided his fingertips up my back to the two ridges where my wings unfolded from. 

Shivering at his touch and the sensitivity of my skin there, I softly groaned, biting down on my lip to limit the less than appropriate sounds that wanted to tumble out of my mouth. 

“Those lips are for me to bite,” Harrison growled, a warning clear in his voice. A shiver ran up my spine at his tone and I automatically released my lip in obedience. He smiled dangerous down at me before reaching up and taking my chin, brushing his thumb across the very lip I had been chewing. “Good girl,” 

“You know I still think we have way too many clothes on,” I whispered into his touch, loving the way his thumb felt against my delicate lip. It added just the right amount of pressure to cause soft little tingles to burst to life. 

“You are welcome to fix that, Miss Hunter,” My fingers dove for the waist band on his soft pants and I promptly tore them free, unapologetically using my sharp nails to cut through the fabric. His boxer briefs were next, soon joining shredded fabric on the floor. Straddling his lap and enjoying the way the way he was running his hands over my back. 

While I worked on getting my own underwear and pants off, his fingers worked on the hooks of my bra, unhooking them like a master. I flicked my underwear and pants to the floor before raising my arms as Harrison pulled the bra from my shoulders, revealing my breast. 

Planting my hands on either side of him, I leaned forwards and pressed my lips back to his, welcoming his mouth against mine and enjoying the feeling of the body underneath mine. As our mouths attacked each other quite vivaciously, Harrison ran his hands around my body, his fingertips brushing all of my most sensitive spots, no searching needed. 

Groaning into his mouth, my arms wrapped around his neck as my hips ground against the growing erection beneath my body. Taking his face in my hands as he tore himself from my mouth and pressed his lips against my neck, I couldn’t help the shudders that ran down my spine. 

Harrison worked a slow, tantalizing trail down my neck, sucking and biting at my skin, marking it up as he went. The marks wouldn’t last for long, but I couldn’t help but feel happy that he felt the need to mark what was his. Holding his head against my chest, I closed my eyes and leaned my head back as his mouth worked wonders and his hair tickled already sensitive skin. 

“As much as I enjoy you lavishing my breasts,” I panted out, a smile on my lips. “I believe there is something much more enjoyable waiting.” 

“You know that good things come to those that wait,” 

“Not in this case, Harrison Wells,” I hissed, pulling his head back so I was looking down into his face. “I need you.”

“I’m at your mercy, Ness,” Harrison purred back at me, his lips curved into a smirk. Between my hand, his, and me raising myself off his erection, I was finally sinking down onto every glorious inch of him my body could get. 

My fingers lightly bit into his chest as a soft moan escaped my lips at the incredible feeling of being full. Harrison voiced his own pleasure, choosing to hold my body tighter against his as he pressed his lips against my throat. Even the vibrations from his grunts and moans felt wonderful against my skin. 

Mixing between pressing kisses against my chest and throat, and capturing my mouth with his, Harrison didn’t give me a hint of a break as I fell into a rhythm that had both of us gripping each other tightly. Heavy breathing, labored kissing, no end in sight. 

Pressure built up in my body, begging to be released along with the insurmountable pleasure coursing through my veins. Gasping, I leaned my body against his shoulder as my thighs burned from the unusual workout and I struggled to rein in control that was slipping through my fingers with every movement of my hips. It wasn’t until the pressure really started pushing for release did I realize what was happening. 

“Oh shit,” I breathed out, sucking in air as I trembled with effort, trying to force my body to obey my commands. “I can’t hold my—“

“Then don’t,” Harrison grunted in reply, his hand snaking up the middle of my back to cradle the back of my head. “Let them go,”

“But I’ll…” My head jerked in his hold as the need for release went from pushing, to shoving. “Harrison, I can’t let—“

I didn’t finish my sentence before he was pushing my head down to his and smashing his lips against mine. His mouth swirled against mine, erasing all thoughts ricocheting though my mind, and with a snap I was gone. 

Ripping my mouth from his, my head dropped back as I cried out, overwhelming pleasure over taking my body as my wings snapped out, and the most intense orgasm I had ever experience ripped its way out of me. At that point, Harrison wasn’t that far behind me, his hard erection twitching before releasing a warm spray as my wings wrecked havoc. Fully unfolding, they crashed into a nearby lamp, knocked a painting off the wall, and rattled the drapes surrounding the French doors. 

Collapsing forwards on his chest with my arms draped over his shoulders and my hands clutching his back, I panted for breath while my cheeks flamed red and mortification filled my body. 

“I am _so_ sorry,” I whispered, embarrassment clear in my voice and my wings going limp. Carefully retreating my wings, I rolled my shoulders to tuck them back away as I kept my red face hidden from his view. 

I didn’t expect him to start chuckling, or tighten his grip on my body, one of his hands reaching up to brush through my wild hair. 

“Believe me, you have nothing to be sorry for,” Harrison said gently, his lips brushing against ear. “I was asking for it, and you gave me exactly what I wanted.” 

“Your lamp…”

“Can be replaced,” He mused, nuzzling his face against mine, pressing a few more kisses at the edge of my mouth. “And in the morning because I quite like having you in my arms.” 

“The feelings mutual, Harrison,” I breathed out. “But my legs are burning like I’ve run a marathon.” 

“Feel free to get comfortable, just don’t go far, I was serious about not letting you go…” Letting out a small laugh of my own, I carefully pulled myself off his body. After we both had adjusted ourselves to laying flat on the bed, I crawled up close to his side and laid my head on his chest sighing out as he wrapped an arm around my back and keeping his promise of holding me tight. 

That night, or early morning, I fell asleep in the arms of the man I loved, and woke up to a man who did exactly what he said he would do. Hold me until morning came.


	13. Flock Together (Eowells/Eobard Thawne)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Flock Together:** Vanessa Hunter, part human and part hawk, has felt love and hurt, friendship and hatred, and had sworn off all men since the one time she allowed her heart to get stolen resulted in said man running off with it and never returning. She is now cold, calculating, and every bit of a bird of prey as the one she fused with. With her wings now fully matured, Ness is a force to be reckoned with, and God help anyone that she sets her sights on.  
>  **Warnings:** Language, a very angry Ness  
>  **To Note:** A/Uish, Eowells x OC, Eobard Thawne x OC, part 2/2

“I’m sorry, what part of ‘let me handle it’, did you not understand?” I questioned in my radio as I stood on top of Central Cities tallest building, one foot up on the ledge of the roof. Cisco and Barry stammered over the radio while Caitlin started laughing at their expense. 

“But Ness, I’ve dealt with them before, what’s so different about dealing with them this time!?!” Barry whined at me while I rolled my eyes so hard I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of my brain. 

“Remember what happened last time you tried to take them on?” I queried. “Pretty sure that involved a broken leg…” 

While Barry floundered for an answer, my eyes caught sight of the movement I was waiting for, a get a way van in the middle of a bank heist headed my way. Several cop cars were in pursuit behind it as it swerved through the city. 

“Get away car is headed your way,” Harry’s gruff voice said over the squabbling and laughter of our friends. “You have eyes on it?”

“Yep,” I replied, focusing my sights on the swerving car. “Intercepting in ten.”

“This puts you ahead by eighteen, I guess that means Allen and Ramon are going to owe you a even more Big Belly Burgers.” Now that put a smirk on my face, even after working with those two for a few years they still bet against me. At this point, I would have thought that they would have learned by now I was always going to come out on top. 

“Well I’m not complaining,” I returned, my smirk growing as I shifted my weight onto the leg that on the edge of the rooftop and propelled my body into the air. Falling through the air at high velocity as the van got closer and closer, I snapped my wings out at the last minute, softening my landing as my feet hit the hood of the van, and my body weight and momentum had the car screeching to a stop. 

Crouching on the now very ruined hood of the van, I stared at the driver of the van who was clutching his bloody face from slamming into the steering column. Standing up as the back doors opened and armed robbers tumbled out in various disarray, I stepped off the van and landed on the balls of my feet. 

Guns went up and they started firing at me, my wings snapped forwards blocking out the gunfire with the air of Cisco’s shield tech. Flattened bullets tinkered to the ground for a few seconds before I was moving. Grabbing the shirt of the first robber, I threw him hard into the side of the van, denting the car and making him grunt in pain before flopping to the ground. 

He made the terrible mistake of getting back to his feet. My nails elongated into talons as I shot forwards, sinking them into his shirt and tearing the material. This time I slammed him up against the van and went full on hawk in his face. He let out a scream as I brought my talons back and slammed them into the paint job of the van, tearing into metal and dragging them down. 

“That will be you if you so much as move,” I hissed at him, his eyes were wide as he nodded quickly and my ears picked up on the sound of him pissing himself. Giving him one last shove and twirled around.

Dropping into a low spin, I swiped my leg out to catch the next robbers ankles and knock him off his feet. While he was on the ground, I grabbed his arm and flipped him onto his stomach, twisting his arm around until he cried out in pain. Snatching his other wrist, I jerked them together before slapping a set of cuffs on him.

“Stay put,” I ordered the moaning man before rising and looking for the last robber. He was currently booking it down the street. Flaring my wings out, I leaped into the air, gaining about twenty feet before diving for the runner. I was on him in seconds, sending him crashing to the asphalt face first. While he was groaning in pain, I slapped my last pair of handcuffs on his wrists. 

“Don’t you know running from a bird of prey does little good?” I questioned him as I hauled him to his feet. Police cars finally came screeching around the corner and surrounded the ruined van. Dragging the struggling robber over to the police officer, I passed him off before assessing the damage done. 

The van was totaled by me jumping on it and crushing the engine, but other than that, there was not property damage, and no civilians had been injured. While the police officers locked the robbers in the backs of the police cruisers, I went to the back of the van to take stock of what had been stolen. 

It was the usual bank heist items, money, jewels, a few bars of gold, and a few watches from the civilians unlucky enough to get caught up in the heist.

“Well get those watches returned to their owners and see that the bank gets this back,” A cop said as he walked up next to me and took a peek into the van. 

“Please do,” I responded shortly before turning away and walking so I had space to take off without hitting anyone with my wings. “Heading back, CCPD taking control.” 

“Good, maybe you can get these two to shut up,” Harry huffed back at me while I tolled my eyes. “And we’ve got company, not the good kind.” 

“What has Barry gotten us into this time,” I growled out before taking flight, startling a few police officers at my sudden exit. Fast tracking my way to the lab, I closed my wings a few feet from the ground, dropping the rest of the way down. My boots hit concrete and bouncing up, I strode into the lab, noticing a strange humming sound echoing in the night air. It was probably related to whatever company we had. 

Feeling the air condition my neck and blow the hair that had slipped from my tight bun, I stalked my way towards the cortex, my senses already picking up on a change in the air. My bird senses were shrieking that someone was in our nest who shouldn’t be. 

Slipping my hand under the high collar of my suit, I rubbed my hand across the prickled hairs on my neck. It had been years since I had felt this on edge, the day when I found out that my boyfriend whom I shared several intimate moments with, wasn’t who he said he was. I had felt betrayed, angry, hurt, but nothing hurt more when it felt like he had run off with my heart when he was erased from existence. 

I was over it, I had to be, and it wasn’t that hard to do, I let the bird in me go free, and she ripped through meta like they were cheese until we both had fully matured into a fully grown Cooper’s hawk. Gone were my speckled and striped brown wings, replaced with steel blue grey wings and red striped under feathers.

With maturity came coldness, calculation, and an innate ability to observe and strike long before my presence was even known. I knew that my friends found it off putting at how hawkish I seemed at points, but sometimes it paid not to feel rather than shrivel from the sting of a broken heart. Then again sometimes I felt like I didn’t have one… Eobard for all intensive purposes, had run off with it. Coming to a silent stop just outside the cortex, I could already pick up on the presence of several people I didn’t know. 

“…and I’m telling you, she is going to tear your throat out if you so much as piss her off.” Harry grunted smugly at someone. My ached to twitch into a smirk, but keeping them pressed into a flat line, I stepped out of the shadows. 

“Anyone I know?” I enquired, my eyes quickly scanning the group of people, noting those I didn’t know, before looking at team flash, and how defensive they seemed. 

“Good, you’re here,” Cisco sighed out in relief before pointing at me. “This is Nike, she is the most badass woman on this planet, and as Harry explained, piss her off and she’ll rip your throat out before eating you.”

Who knows what was going on, but I was finding this interesting so I decided to play along. 

“Hmm, I prefer to start with the kidneys rather than the throat,” I drew out with an air of haughtiness and giving them a predatory smile, my tongue swiping across my teeth in a sensuous yet hungry act. “Fresh is best after all.”

Cisco blanched at my words while Barry actually went white. Caitlin looked uncomfortable with my words and Harry had a small smirk on his lips, he too was enjoying this. Moving my eyes to scan the group that had my friends so uptight, my eyebrow shot up. 

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” I mused, putting a hand on my hip and scanning each man with my gold eyes. 

I knew Leonard, we had met before when I was still a fledgling, he was gawking at me, his eyes telling me he liked what he saw. Moving on, the next man, wearing a full suit, Malcolm Merlyn of Star city, Oliver’s enemy. Intense light blue eyes met mine with cool curiosity, I sensed something about him, he was no ordinary man, and lastly, my eyes flickered over the leather jacket wearing blond man my bird was shrieking in my head at. 

He was the same energy around him as Eobard, I was guessing a speedster, a smug arrogance to him that also told me he was intelligent. Yes, I think I knew exactly who he was just by staring at him, but years of meditation and practicing control helped me keep all my emotions bottled up. 

“Anyway, try to cross us and I’ll sic her on you, she’s got the talons to do what she said she’d do…” Cisco finished as I started walking over to Harry. As I passed him I caught his eye, giving him a look that said ‘we need to talk’, Harry got the hint, and relaxing from his rigid, arms crossed position, he followed me out of the room. 

“So this is the shit storm Barry got us caught up in?” I questioned pulling down my scarf that covered my face up to my eyes. Harry let out an agitated huff. 

“It would seem, its bad enough to be stuck in a room with the man who pretended to be me,” He growled out before running his hands through his messy hair. “There’s a threat to the timeline again, it involves some immortal, they’ve come to ask if we’ll help them and the Legends.”

“And why aren’t the Legend’s asking us instead?” I questioned, raising my eyebrow. “You know, the actual good guys who we trust?” 

He huffed at me once more. 

“I asked the same thing, they’re busy setting things up in other cities, Legion of Doom I think there called. Snart, Merlyn, Darhk, and Thawne, Legion of idiots if you ask me… they came with some device that will act as an energy dampener to mitigate his power. We need to get it to the highest point in the city.” 

“Hmm, that would be the weather array on top of the Merickson building.” I mused, thinking about all the places I liked to brood on. 

“That’s what I was thinking,” Harry responded in agreement. “According to the schematics of the array, there will be an assembly box near the tip where several sensors are, you can attach the device there and use the electrical from the weather array to connect the data back to the lab.” 

“Sounds like a plan,” I echoed before tapping my fingernails on my leg. Harry narrowed his eyes at me before spending a few moments studying me. 

“You okay, Vanessa?” I chewed my lip before shaking my head. 

“My bird is going to give me a migraine with how much screeching she is currently doing and I feel like tearing someones’s throat out with my teeth.” I explained dryly. “I’d really rather not talk about how I’m feeling when my ex is in the building.” 

“Yeah I figured you’d pick up on who he is,” Harry grunted before nodding his chin at me. “If you need to skip out, Jesse is always up for a visit from you.” 

“Tempting,” I responded, my lips curving slightly. “But I don’t run from my problems, I tear them apart.”

“And as pleasurable as I would find that, I don’t think ripping him apart would do you any good.” 

“Well, what else am I supposed to do about it?” I questioned, flinging a hand out. “Preen and pine like a love sick bird? News flash Wells, I’m a bird of prey, I don’t do sob stories.” 

“I’m not saying that’s what you need to do, I’m just saying that you giving into your hawk DNA isn’t helping you. You’re loosing yourself, and I maybe a grumpy, cynical, conceited ass, but I don’t want to see you go down that road.” 

“It may be already too late for that, Harry,” I answered honestly, my gold eyes flickering up to his. “Because it is so much easier to give into my bird, than continue living knowing I poured everything I had into one man who wasn’t even real.” 

“You know I do worry about you, Ness,” Harry said as I turned on my heel and started walking back towards the Cortex. 

“I’m aware!” I tossed over my shoulder. “And you shouldn’t, I’m not worth your time.” 

Leaving Harry to grumble and stew about my noxious, self destructing behavior, I entered the Cortex and marched right up to the city map on one of the computer screens. 

“You and Harry figure this out?” Cisco asked, bouncing over to me as I pulled up the engineering schematics of the Merickson building. 

“Yes,” I answered as I magnified the top of the weather array. “Our plan is to attach the device to the tip and connect it to the weather module, we can get access to the device through the buildings electricity.”

“Cool, cool,” Cisco responded as Caitlin walked over and peered at the screen. 

“That’s the highest point in the city?” 

“I should know,” I reminded her before glancing up and looking at the four men. “I don’t suppose you had the brains to bring the device with you?” 

Leonard snorted and gave me an eye roll as the one I deduced to be Damien Darhk pulled out a box in the shape of a hexagon, no bigger than an half gallon of milk. 

“Hmm, maybe you aren’t all idiots after all,” I mused under my breath, making Cisco snort. Walking around the desk, I headed for Darhk, taking the device from his gloved hand as I passed. “I’ll get to it then,”

Naturally everyone started following me out to the back entrance I had made my landing and take off pad. 

“If you don’t mind, Miss Nike, would you care to explain how you plan on getting that device to a building hundreds of feet into the air? Do you plan on growing a pair of wings?” While his words seemed flippant, he did genuinely seem to wonder how I was planning on getting this device attached to a weather array over six hundred feet in the air. 

Stepping out so I had room to stretch my wings, I glanced over my shoulder while twisting my lips into a curved smirk. 

“As a matter of fact, Mr. Darhk,” I replied, equally flippant with my answer as I pulled up my scarf to cover my nose and mouth. Unfurling my wings, I watched in satisfaction as faces morphed into surprise and awe. “I do.” 

With one last teasing smirk, I turned around and gave my blue wings one heavy beat, slingshotting myself into the night sky. Enroute to the Merickson building, the radio in my ears crackled to life. 

“That was awesome!” Cisco burst out in glee. “Like total mic drop moment Ness!”

“Glad you approve, Cisco, I’ll be at the array in thirty, get Harry on the line and I’ll get my specs ready.” 

“Copy that,” Flapping higher and higher, I finally got sight of the long array sticking off the Merickson building, and with careful percussion flew myself straight for the tip, wrapping my legs around it so I was secure while I worked. 

“Ready?” Harry’s gruff voice cracked in my ear. Reaching for my belt, I pulled out my special specs for when it rained, which also contained a camera Harry should use to see what I was doing, and slipped them over my eyes. 

With Harry speaking in my ears, I managed to get the device attached in under half an hour, being careful not to cut or nick and existing wires, or mess with anything else for that matter. When Harry was finally satisfied with my wiring job and that the device was stable on the array, I pushed myself from the tower and flapped my wings, sending me up and out. 

“You coming back to the lab?” 

“No, I’m heading home for the night,” I responded. “Haven’t gotten my dark brooding in for the night.”

“Alright… just think about what I said, will you? You are one of the only people here that I actually like.” Harry sighed, and I could practically imagine him rubbing his forehead. 

“Night, Harry,” I replied softly before ending the call and removing the specs from my face. Angling my wing, I swooped to the left, gliding lightly in the direction of my house. Two minutes I was dropping through the air, my feet touching down in my backyard. 

Pulling my wings into my back, I headed for the back sliding glass door while pulling out the key to unlock it. Stepping into my house, I pulled my scarf down and ran a hand over my hair with a heavy set sigh. Heading to my bedroom, I quickly stripped myself out of my Nike outfit and changed into a tank top, sans bra since the things were uncomfortable, and a pair of comfortable shorts. 

I fixed myself one of Caitlins shakes that she had concocted for me to fulfill my bird nutritional requirements and sat at my dining table. Sipping on my shake, I turned my eyes to the book on bird genetics I had left open this morning. I spent a few minutes reading before my senses picked up on the fact that I was no longer alone. 

“You have a lot of gall to show up here,” I murmured quietly, my hands slowly closing the book before I got to my feet. 

“I’m aware,” His voice rang out as he stepped out of the shadows. His blue eyes studied my thin figure, I couldn’t figure out exactly what he was thinking, but I knew he was assessing me. 

“Then why are you here? Because the urge to rip out your throat is one I’m feeling inclined to indulge in.” I coolly spat at him, my sharp eyes narrowing. 

“Ness—“

“You lost the right to call me that,” I hissed, my eyes flashing brightly. “News flash, Eobard! I hate you! I hate you so much that I would gladly let my hawk rip your throat out and feast on your organs like some backwater Buzzard!” 

“Vanessa,” Eobard corrected himself. “I know I hurt you, but I never wanted—“

“Hurt me?” I scoff. “I loved you, I gave you everything I had and look what happened! It was nothing but lies and deceit! Well, I won’t ever make that mistake again.”

“This isn’t you, Vanessa, you are not vicious. Not like me, not like this,” I let out a cynical laugh and shook my head. 

“You don’t know me, Eobard Thawne,” I told him darkly before shooting forward and sinking my talons into the front of his jacket. With a firm grip, I spun in a circle and threw him as hard as I could into the painting above my dining table. He crashed into the wall, shattering the glass and breaking some of the drywall. 

He was on his feet in an instant, hands up in surrender. 

“Vanessa, please, you are the most compassionate, caring person I have ever met, please—“ My eyes blazed with fury and my blue wings extended from my back, crashing into furniture as they went. 

“You don’t know me, Eobard Thawne,” I repeated in voice not my own before shooting forwards once more, talons extended and ready to run through more than just fabric. He was moving too, trying to grapple my body. Twisting around, I punched him in the chest, sending him staggering back. 

Going to kicking him in the chest to really throw him back, Eobard caught my foot and pulled. I flared my wings out as far as they would stretch, not caring that I had sent a lamp crashing to the floor and broke it. With my right foot still in his grasp, I slammed my other foot into his face, catching him in the chin.

Eobard released my foot, allowing me to land back down on the floor, my wings beating behind me in anger. There was a red mark where I had kicked him, and that made me smirk in glee. Before I made my next move, he was rushing forwards, grabbing at my shoulders and trying to pin me against a wall. 

My back hit drywall and groaned in protest while I hissed at him. Reaching for his arm, I dug my talons into his flesh before jerking sideways, reversing our position and trying to get my hand around his neck. I was in full on kill mode and a veil of red had fallen over my eyes, my bird would not be happy until I held his heart in my hand. 

My talons bit into his neck and left scratches that lightly bled, fueling my bloodthirst. 

Eobard shoved me hard, making me fall backwards and slide on the floor, Broken wood dug into my shoulder and scraped it up while my skin took a beating. But I wan’t backing off. Using the momentum from his shove, I completed the backwards roll, tucking my wings close to my back before springing back to my feet. 

“Vanessa, please, we need to talk about this, this bloodlust, it isn’t you,” Eobard said, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “You are not a killer.”

By now he was bleeding in multiple places from my talons, and my skin was scraped and turning a variety of colors from my proclivity to bruise, yet I felt a burning desire to continue, even if it meant death. So with a low, hawk like screech, I grabbed the overturned leg of a side table and broke it off, twirling the splintered wood in my hand. 

“Sorry, Vanessa hasn’t been home in quite some time,” I drawled out manically, my very being consumed with rage and a lust for blood. 

Confliction in his eyes had my dark smirk widening as I started stalking forwards. Hesitation on his part would be my victory. Bringing my arm around, I threw the broken piece of wood right where his heart was. He zipped away before it could hit him, making the wood lodge into the wall behind where he had previously been standing. 

Ducking into a low spin, I narrowly avoided his hands as he tried to grab me once more from behind. Clamping my talons into his wrist, I jumped up and twisted my body, catching his neck between my legs. Continuing my twist, I sent the both of us tumbling back to the floor, releasing his arm and trying sink my talons into his chest.

“You are not just your hawk!” Eobard yelled at me while his hands strained to keep my talons from puncturing his chest. He still wasn’t using his full power, most likely for fear of seriously injuring me, well that would be his downfall. “You are still Vanessa Hunter.” 

Snarling, I pushed harder, my talons scraping against the soft material of his shirt. Eobard let out a noice of frustration before zipping up to our feet and throwing me as hard as he could. I crashed into my bookshelf, one of the iron prongs on my deer antler book end piercing through my shoulder. 

Gasping out from the sharp pain in my left shoulder, I looked down at the pointed metal still just barely out of my skin. My eyes flickered up to Eobard who now had a horrified expression on his face. 

“Ness, I—“

“Well, well, well,” I cooed out, my list twisting into a canary smile. I jerked my shoulder forwards, pulling myself from the heavy metal bookend. “Look who finally decided to put up a fight, that’s the Eobard I know.” 

Reaching back, I grabbed the bookend and lobbed it at his head as hard as I could. He dived out of the way, the antlers lodging themselves in the wall behind him. I pranced forwards, ignoring the sting in my shoulder and the blood that dripped down onto my spaghetti strap top and skin. Eobard let out a growl of irritation before zipping again. 

Feeling his arms wrap around my body from behind, I tried to slam my elbows back into his gut, or at least claw at his body with my talons. His grip was strong, so I resorted to method two, my wings sprung from my back, separating our bodies.

Spinning around, I slashed at his throat with my extended nails, wanting more blood to be shed to sate the ever present thirst. My hand was batted away and Eobard lunged for me once more, only this time he didn’t go for my shoulders, but my wings. 

I jerked backwards, trying to keep them out of reach, but he was faster. His hands clamped down on them with enough pressure to make me draw them in, and in seconds I found myself pinned to the floor by my wings, my eyes flashing. 

“Will you listen to me damn it!” He yelled into my face as I struggled beneath him. 

“Go to hell Thawne!” I snarled in his face, trying to kick at his legs. He managed to pin those down with his own.

“I still love you, you obstinate, frustratingly beautiful, woman!” Eobard bellowed in my face, my struggles paused as his words circulated in my brain. He sighed out and released my wings and arms, giving me the chance to rip away if I so chose. “I have never loved anything as much as I love you, and that is a fact that will always remain constant.” 

The red haze clouding my judgment dissipated, leaving me feeling hollow from the emotions of rage and anger. That allowed the old emotions of pain, torment, and heartache to hit me like a tidal wave as my bird all but slipped from my body. 

My wings retracted as tears started running down my cheeks, and reaching up with my talonless fingers, I pressed the heel of palms into my eyes as I cried my heart out. The gut wrenching feeling of loneliness was crippling and had me feeling exactly like how I had felt when my wings first has come in. 

Scared. Hurt. Alone.

“Ness…” Eobard’s soft voice only hand my tears coming faster as my nails dug into my scalp and I sucked on every shuddering breath. 

“I just want things to go back to how they were before I ever found out who you really were.” I sobbed, my throat feeling thick and my hands shaking. In less than a second I found myself standing in my ruined living room, my face buried in Eobard’s partially shredded shirt with his arm around my body as I sobbed.

My fingers pressed against his chest, my human nails digging in this time while he ran a hand through my hair like he used to. His face pressed down on the crown of my hair while he repeated apologies, over, and over. Gradually, my sobs turned to sniffles and my eyes had no more tears to shed. 

“I tried so hard to hate you, but I can’t even do that,” I whispered as I lightened up my grip on his shirt. Slowly, Eobard slid his hands from body to gently hold my cheeks, his thumbs brushing the wet tracks from my tears. My red rimmed eyes stared up into his unfamiliar face, yet familiar eyes. 

“I have a feeling I will be apologizing for the rest of my life, and even then it won’t be enough.” Eobard said gently before pulling my head up and connecting our lips. It was almost too much to be kissing him again, I had spent so many night wishing that I could just forget the way his lips felt against mine. It was in this moment that I realized how stupid I was to think that. Harrison Wells, Eobard Thawne, whatever he called himself, he was always going to be the tether that kept me connected to the ground, to my human side. Best friend, closest confidant, lover. 

You know what they say about birds: Birds of a feather, flock together, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.


	14. What We Made (Eowells)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **What We Made:** Penelope Wright has dated Harrison Wells for a whopping five and a half years. She isn’t in a hurry to further along their relationship, yet she is head over heels in love with her other half. After finding out that Harrison Wells, isn’t, in fact, Harrison Wells, and that she is now carrying a meta baby that just might kill her, Pen doesn’t know what will kill her, a broken heart, or a child that shouldn’t even exist.  
>  **Warnings:** Language, Explicit scenarios (warp it up pls), graphic imagery maybe (birth stuff?), it is designed in segments, Part 2 will be longer and have more fun stuff in it ;)  
>  **To Note:** A/Uish, Eowells x OC, Eobard Thawne x OC,

My hands dug into Harrison’s neatly brown hair as our lips locked together in a very open, very passionate kiss that would have Cisco a blushing mess. Teeth occasionally clicking together, biting at each other's lips and tugging, our tongues teasing and begging for more, and our hands wandering.

Well, Harrison’s hands were wandering, mine were perfectly content to weave into his immaculate locks and ruffle them up from their brushed and coifed position. But back to those sinful hands, Harrison let them wander all over my body as I straddled his lap, my knees digging into the mattress.

This wasn’t an unusual position for me to be in or one that bothered me, Harrison was paralyzed from the waist down and only had a little feeling after his accident. But that didn’t make him any less of a lover. He knew exactly how to work my body, what areas to caress, to touch, to pinch, and to kiss. His hands were magical.

Said magic hands were currently sliding up my back to where my bra band rested, his fingers tugging at the little hooks. In a few smooth moments, he had them undone and was pulling the straps forwards, making the straps fall down my arms.

Dragging our lips apart, I detached my hands from his hair and raised them to allow him to pull my bra free from my arms. With the lacy cream fabric free from my body Harrison tossed it to the side before rewrapping his arms around my body and pulling our naked torsos against each other.

His mouth went straight for my neck, landing on my skin and sucking at it, clearly meaning to leave a sizable mark. Moaning underneath his touch, my head dropped back as I snaked an arm around his neck with one hand and held the back of his head with the other, pressing his mouth further into my skin.

I didn’t care that he had lost motor control of his legs, I loved this man like I had loved no other. Unbelievably intense love blinded me to any hindrances other women might point out. Who cared that the only position that worked had me on top, it meant I got to tease him as much as I wanted to, and he couldn’t do a thing about it.

Well, I usually paid for my teasing afterward, but I wasn’t going to complain, he had a special way with his hands and mouth that no other man could compete with.

Teeth lightly scraped across my skin before he licked a tantalizing stripe up my neck and started to press open-mouthed kisses along my jaw that made tingles erupt everywhere he touched. With a sated groan from his mouth torture, I wiggled my hips, grinding my underwear covered clit against his growing erection.

It had been a long day, full of worrying about Barry, his progress with his speed, and whether or not someone in the city was using their powers for nefarious reasons. We both had a lot of pent-up stress and were happy to burn it off in a way that both of us enjoyed.

“You have no idea what that skirt did to me today,” Harrison rumbled against my skin, my lips curved into a smile as I chuckled. “Especially when you bent over to collect the papers Barry sent flying.”

“Oh you poor boy,” I giggled, my fingers playing with his hair. “Got a little excited did you?”

“A little? More like I had to go to my office to avoid Cisco asking an indecent question.” He growled, his fingertips pressing into my skin and skimming the ridges of my spine. Laughing at his unfortunate biological mishap earlier today, I pulled myself from his mouth’s reach and gazed into his eyes with mine sparkling.

“Not to worry, you may have me as much as you’d like tonight, Dr. Wells.” I purred out, brushing my fingers along his jawline. “You have me all to yourself for the night.”

“And it better stay that way,” He decreed, his blue eyes staring intently down at me as one of his hands trailed down my spine and dipped underneath the band of my underwear. I felt his large hand gently slide over my ass, coming to rest on the curve.

“Oh, possessive Harrison makes an appearance,” I said as I traced shapes on the back of his neck. “You going to show me just how possessive you are?”

He didn’t need any more words of reassurance, his other hand dived for my underwear and in seconds I was wiggling them off, flicking them to the floor with my foot. My own hands dove for his underwear and yanked, whipping them off his body in record time, I stared up at him, a smirking smile tugging at the edges of my mouth, prepared to torture him some more.

“Not tonight,” Harrison said, taking my face in one of his hands. “I’ve been waiting patiently to be in you, and I refuse to wait a second longer.”

“If that’s what the doctor wants,” I breathed back before crawling up and raising myself. Harrison’s hands went to my hips as I lined myself up with his cock, and feeling a little streak of naughtiness, I made sure to sink as slowly as I possibly could.

The feeling of him slowly sliding up into my body was euphoric as always, stretching my body most deliciously. My legs burned from straining to keep myself from just plopping down, control beating out desire. Harrison quickly caught on to my actions and with a growl and a grunt, the hands that had been resting on my hips tightened and yanked me down.

A small yelp left my lips as my legs folded and I dropped down, lurching forwards to wrap my arms around his neck. The tip of his cock had hit me hard and deep, sending a zing of pleasure up through my body and the burn from the hurried invasion clung to my walls, my body slowly adjusting. As a soft groan left my lips, Harrison brushed his lips against my ear.

“That didn’t mean you could tease me more, Penelope. I am a patient man, but even my patience runs out.”

“Well damn,” I chuckled, catching my breath from the sudden stretching. “And here I was hoping to torment you to my heart's content.”

“You are a little vixen,”

“Only for you,” I responded before turning my head and connecting our lips once more.

*****

Hope was hard to find these days. I had been beaten down to the point where I didn’t think I would be able to get back up or have the strength to even try. I was so lost after years of trust, stability, and love had been shattered with a few sentences. I had denied their words, refused to believe them.

They had proof.

I had tried to come up with an excuse for his actions, that this was just a big misunderstanding, and he hadn’t been lying to us.

It wasn’t.

And when Eddie shot himself and died, erasing his existence, I had cried silently. Tears rolled down my face like rain on a windshield as I tried to remain strong and not go rushing to his side as he was erased from existence.

That wasn’t what brought me to my knees, and ultimately sent me crashing down.

Caitlin said that I was probably between eight and nine weeks and that I was lucky that we had caught the fluctuations in my metabolism before it ultimately shut down my body and killed me. Severe hypoglycemia Caitlin had called it, the worst she had ever seen aside from Barry.

I was pregnant with a baby who’s father didn’t even exist anymore.

*****

 **16 Weeks Pregnant**  
  
“How’s our little nugget doing this morning?” Cisco asked as I walked into the Cortex, Iris in tow. Without looking down at my stomach, I gave it a light pat.

“Feeling feisty,” I quietly returned, a brief flashback of praying to the porcelain throne all morning flashing in my eyes. “And rebellious, you have any more of those calorie bars, Caitlin? I can’t keep anything down…”

“Yeah let me go grab a couple,” Caitlin said as she stood up from her desk and headed out of the room.

“In the meantime,” Cisco said, trotting over to me and taking my elbow. “Sit down while I hook you up for Caitlin.”

I slowly walked over to the chair I was been occupying for the last few weeks and sat down, pulling up my shirt to reveal my slightly pooched stomach. Reaching down, I gently placed my fingers along my stomach. Little red flickers of light flashed across my skin as the baby reacted to my touch.

He or she always did, the lighting just underneath my skin happened with a stimulus, or according to Caitlin, when the baby was happy. How my baby was even that far developed at this point was beyond me, Caitlin theorized that it had to do with the metagenes.

“Are you sure you don’t want to know what gender it is?” Cisco asked, carefully putting the probes on my stomach and connecting them up to the fancy machine he had built to monitor both mine and my baby’s health along with caloric consumption, how fast our metabolisms were, and if I was having any adverse effects from carrying a baby with such high demands.

I shrugged at Cisco, trying to act as nonchalant as I possibly could. I still had a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that the baby didn’t just disappear after he was erased from existence, and finding out the gender was like solidifying the fact that I was going to be a single mother. If I even survived.

“I just—“ I spoke out quietly, my fingers weathering together while I tried to remain as calm as possible. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.”

“Well if you change your mind, Caitlin and Iris want to combine a gender reveal party with a baby shower, I want to make this super cool…” Cisco started blabbing about things he wanted to make that would make my life easier.

Caitlin came clicking back into the room, several calorie bars in hand. She hurried up to me, handing them over before grabbing her tablet.

“I’ll run our usual scans, but I’m still worried about your health, you’ve dropped eight pounds since last week,” Caitlin spoke up as her eyes scanned the tablet in her hands.

“It’s not like I can’t afford to shed a few pounds, Cait,” I muttered tiredly, I had about a good forty pounds I could lose before my weight would become a problem. Caitlin thought differently, she scowled at me.

“If my predictions and current data are accurate, which they are, your body won’t be able to keep up with the demand for calories, and your body will shut down. You’ll die, and so will the fetus.” Caitlin lectured, making Cisco’s eyes go wide, Iris, who had been on her phone, probably texting Barry, looked up, fear now in her eyes.

“Wait, what?” Iris blurted out. “No one said anything about Penelope dying from trying to carrying this baby to term.”

“She might if we can’t figure out a way to get the needed calories and proper nutrition into her body. The fetus is sucking her dry right now, her bone density has already decreased because of calcium loss.” Caitlin answered, waving an arm at my stomach. “We could lose both of them.”

“So not only is Pen carrying miracle evil baby—”

“It’s not evil, Fransisco,” I interjected, leaning my head into my hand.

“Miracle baby is also potentially killing them both, great.” Cisco finished, clapping his hands together. “I’m gonna go hyperventilate in a corner for five minutes and then we’ll figure this out.”

With that, Cisco walked out of the Cortex, most likely to do exactly what he had said he was going to do.

“So, anyone watch the latest Game of Thrones episode?” I asked, trying to steer the topic away from my possible impending death.

*****

**25 Weeks Pregnant**

“I don’t see the purpose of this,” I muttered quietly as Caitlin and Iris puttered around the baby shop, looking at the cribs available. There was a multitude of colors, along with different types of material, fabrics, prints, and even shapes.

“The purpose is to make your life as normal as possible,” Iris spoke up as she looked at the tag of a darker colored crib. It was made of wood and had vertical slats so you could see through it, room for storage underneath, and striped fabric covering the bedding.

I huffed at Iris’s words and ran my fingers over a light grey set, it was made of wood, looked sturdy, but had the style as the rest of the furniture in the apartment I now lived in.

“My point is why spend the money when I might just die anyway?” Caitlin shot me a dirty look as Iris rolled her eyes. My view on life had turned quite cynical lately, and the words that came out of my mouth were harsh, pessimistic, and uncaring.

I spent nearly half of my waking hours hooked up to an iv that pumped a steady stream of vitamins, minerals, calories, and other compounds in Caitlin’s effort to counteract the effects of carrying a meta child with the metabolism of Barry. I had already dropped several dress sizes, much to Caitlin’s dismay, and it was nearly impossible to get any weight back on my body.

“The point, Pen,” Iris replied, turning to look at me. “Is that we are not going to let you, or the baby die, and it’s not like Harrison Wells of this earth is going to need his money.”

I flinched at the name, wrapping my arms around my baby bump before looking down. Cisco had gotten access to his bank account with Felicity’s help and had set up child support payments that were going into my account. Everyone had said it was the least he could do since he no longer existed, but a part of me wondered what the real Harrison Wells would think.

Having money like this wasn’t something I had ever experienced before. The amount in my bank accounts was absurd and had made my jaw drop when I first realized just exactly how much Felicity and Cisco had set up to be transferred every month.

I had a brand new apartment, three bedrooms, two and a half baths, a nice kitchen and dining room, and a living room with a view people would kill for. It was over the top, more than I needed, and I felt like I was living in a mansion. But I hadn’t exactly gotten a chance to say no since everyone had decided to start making decisions for me.

“What about this set?” Caitlin asked, walking over to where I stood and pointing at the rib I had been running my fingers over. “It’s neutral, but looks nice, and would fit with either a boy or a girl scheme.”

I went with that set just to get out of the baby shop, and to escape the psychological pressures of reality.

*****

**33 Weeks Pregnant**

It was amazing how tired I could get just by sitting in a chair. Iris and Caitlin had pulled together a baby shower/gender reveal party, inviting everyone we knew from Team Flash along with Team Arrow. Even Grumpy Harry from Earth-2 had come.

Somehow Iris had convinced me to wear a pink dress with flutter sleeves and a slight high low hemline. I couldn’t hide my baby bump wearing an oversized sweatshirt to this party, Iris had made sure of that. Instead, I looked like a well put together pregnant woman in the throes of happiness. Well maybe not in the throes of happiness, I was scared shitless and barely managed to keep my head above the metaphorical water that continually tried to pull me back under.

My face held fatigue like fat clung to hips, my ribs were almost at the point of being visible, and my complexion could have me mistaken for a vampire. Not only was my physical appearance terrible, but exhaustion had taken up a permanent residence in my body. I felt like I was dragging two hundred pound weights on my body every time I moved.

“Alright, it’s time to reveal what everyone has been wondering these last few weeks!” Iris called, alerting the chatting guests that it was time for Cisco’s little party bombs (completely safe he had assured me) to be set off.

Caitlin, Iris, Felicity, Cecile, and Thea all came over as Cisco’s little bombs were passed out and I internally screamed. My baby was currently it, but after this, it would become a he, or she, and that would only strengthen the reality of what I faced.

“You okay Pen?” Thea asked as she walked over to the chair I was sitting in. I blinked at her before giving her a strained smile.

“Of course, I just don’t want to get blasted in the face by Cisco’s creation.” Thea laughed before nodding agreement.

“I’ll agree with you there, I don’t know what is in those little explosives, but I certainly don’t want to take one to the face,” Thea responded before going to retrieve one of the party bombs. Once they were passed out everyone held the bombs out and away from their bodies.

“Alright!” Cisco called, excitement on his face. “On three! One… two...”

Right as he said three, my eyes unconsciously connected with the sulking Harry. Those blue eyes that mirrored once I used to stare into for hours connected. I was unlucky enough that the baby chose this moment to have a power flare, and time momentarily slowed down around me like it had since the power fluctuations started.

With trembling lips, I found I could not look away from Harry as the bombs exploded in the room, spreading sparkling powder everywhere. My eyes soaked in the color and instantly tears were gathering. I blinked once and time returned to normal, my eyes still connected with Harry’s.

His eyes widened a fraction of an inch at my now teary face before I tore my eyes away from his and wiped at my eyes. Cheers outweighed the complaints of the gender reveal, and soon Caitlin was walking up to me with a big smile.

“You have no idea how hard it was to not blurt out that you’re having a little boy, Pen, no idea.” She said, her face bright with happiness. I wished I could be as happy as everyone else, but the only thing on my mind was concentration. I would not cry in front of them.

*****

**40 Weeks Pregnant**

I was gripping Barry’s hand so hard I was pretty sure I had broken a few fingers as a gut-wrenching scream tore from my lips. He was currently on the phone with Caitlin, trying to figure out what the hell to do since contractions had hit me out of nowhere.

“I know, I know!” Barry yelled anxiety in his voice. “But it’s the middle of the night and I can’t get one!”

Did I forget to mention it was the middle of the night and there were zero Lyfts or Ubers around to take? And forget about taxi’s, there was no way we’d get one in time. I had been staying with Barry and Iris the last two weeks as my due date got closer, and my body was pretty much rendered almost unusable, nearly all my strength going to the baby.

Iris came crashing back into the room, her phone in her hand along with some towels and a water bottle. I gasped for air as I was given a small break from the blistering pain. Red electricity rippled through my veins, flashing brightly underneath my skin.

I could feel the energy wanting to burst out of my body in any means possible, even if it had to rip its way out. Breathing like Caitlin had coached me, I clutched at my rippling stomach as Iris hurried over.

“I called my dad, he’s going to try and see if he can get an ambulance here to take you to the lab…” I could hear a but in her voice.

“But…?” I rasped out, curling my fingers against my stomach.

“It’s a busy night, and he doesn’t know when one will become available.” Iris rushed out, her eyes filled with worry. “We’ll figure this out, but for now, you’re stuck with us.”

“It’s— it’s okay,” I heaved before hunching over and groaning as my uterus once again felt like it was twisting around, the baby trying to claw its way out. I felt more liquid drip down my inner thighs. Iris dropped the water bottle and towels on the bed I had been using.

“Oh my god, oh my god,” She breathed before turning to Barry who was still trying to get instructions from Caitlin. “Barry she’s bleeding!”

“No wonder it feels like he’s trying to claw his way out,” I breathed out, suddenly feeling lightheaded. My grip on Barry’s hand went slack as I felt my body flopping to the side, all energy in my body gone.

*****

Barry was running as fast as he could carrying Penelope’s limp, bloody, and who knows what, body. All conventional options of getting her to the lab had failed, leaving one very unconventional, yet entirely necessary one if Penelope and her baby were to survive.

Zipping into the lab medical area, Barry came to a stop in front of the prepared gurney. Caitlin was already there with a nervous-looking Cisco peeking over her shoulder, and Harry standing off to the side, looking grumpy and aloof as usual.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,” Cisco breathed out, instantly freaking out at the shape Penelope was in. “Oh my god is she dead!?”

“Not yet but she will be if we don’t fix her!” Barry answered as he quickly set Penelope on the gurney. Caitlin jumped forwards and was instantly putting all sorts of electrodes and monitors on her clammy skin. “Please tell me you can save them.”

Caitlin flashed her eyes up to Barry’s.

“I don’t know if I can,” She answered honestly. “But I will try.”

Caitlin jumped right in, whipping out all the supplies she might need. Just as Cisco was leaning over Penelope to check a wire connection, her eyes flicked open and she let out a wrenching gasp. Cisco let out a little scream, jumping back as Penelope jerked on the bed and clutched at her stomach.

“Pen, Pen?” Barry asked, zipping up to her and grabbing one of her hands. “You’re with us, right?”

Pain filled blue eyes turned to Barry.

“Barry?” She gasped out, her chest heaving as the red lightning traveled up her neck and flashed across her face.

“You’re at the lab, Pen, Caitlin’s going to take care of you,” Barry said as Caitlin got an I.v. going. “You’ll be okay, you’ll be okay.”

“I’m going to die, Barry, I’m— I’m going to die,” She wheezed out, her face screwing up in pain.

“No you're not, I won’t allow it,” Barry responded as Caitlin finished getting things set up.

“We need to get this baby out right now,” Caitlin said, grabbing a pair of gloves and pulling them on. “I gave you oxytocin to speed things up, so when you feel the need to push, do it.”

“Got it,” Penelope rasped before another contraction hit and she was screaming, her back arching off the gurney. Cisco was once again flailing around, Barry had no idea what to do, and Caitlin was letting out a growl of frustration as she helped Penelope move her body so she could push the baby out.

“If all you are going to do is scream along with her, get out!” Caitlin yelled at Cisco. Harry let out one of his famous stressed sighs before rolling his chair over to the bedside and taking Penelope’s hand.

“Obviously none of you have watched birthing videos.” He grunted at them before looking down at Penelope. “Focus on your breathing and ignore the idiots.”

Letting out a shaky sigh, Penelope nodded weakly, curling her fingers around his. It was exactly like his, the same shape, the same size, fit perfectly in hers, and at that moment, she didn’t care if it brought back the painful memories.

From that point on, Harry was her anchor, helping her through the worst of it, being unusually kind, letting her squeeze his hand to her heart's content, and only when Caitlin finally managed to get the squirming baby in her hands, Penelope finally relaxed.

“I’ll be bright back with your son, Pen,” Caitlin called as she did a quick check. Penelope didn’t answer, choosing to stare at Harry.

“You’re a good man, Harrison Wells,” She whispered out. “And your daughter loves you very much, don’t let your relationship go to ruin.”

Harry found himself at a loss for words, since meeting Penelope Wright, things had been strained for obvious reasons, she was pregnant by the man who had pretended to be his doppelgänger. She avoided him, steered clear of his presence, hell they barely knew each other. But Penelope saw good in him he had been struggling to find.

Harry finally opened his mouth to reply, but before he could the machines monitoring Penelope’s vitals started going haywire.

“Shit!” Caitlin cried, quickly wrapping up the baby and setting her in the waiting incubator. “We’re losing her!”

The hand in Harry’s went limp as Penelope’s eyes fluttered shut.

“What’s going on!?” Cisco asked, his eyes scanning the machines beeping like crazy.

“Her body is shutting down!” Caitlin replied as she grabbed several vials on the tray next to her and rolled to the I.v. “Now that the baby is out, her body is exhausted and giving out, now add the internal bleeding, rips in her uterus, and unequalized chemical balance, her body just can’t handle it anymore.”

“So how do we fix that!?” Caitlin looked up at Barry.

“I don’t know.”


	15. What We Became (Eowells/Eobard Thawne)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **What We Became:** Gemma lives a simple life on her award winning farm with her son and hired help. When Gemma’s little adventures into Central City alert the Flash that there is another speedster around, curiosity combined with a new villain no one seems to be fast enough to catch, and an old enemy of Team Flash, Gemma’s farm life will be turned upside down. Not every past stays buried, and it becomes apparent that a few of Team Flash members have been covering something up.   
> **Warnings:** Language, Explicit scenarios (warp it up pls) (this got way dirty, and way long, I’m not sorry)  
>  **To Note:** A/Uish, Eobard Thawne x OC, part 2/2

It was an overcast Saturday afternoon the day they lowered the two caskets into their respective plots. Placed right next to each other, the gravestone of Penelope Wright and her baby sat next to each other in togetherness neither of the two would ever get to experience. Surrounding the plots were Penelope’s closest friends and family, both factions weeping at the early demise of such a young woman. 

The Wrights were the first to leave, not wanting to stay where their only daughter had been buried any longer than they had to. Their grief forever etched onto their faces, for what parent should have to outlive their child? 

That left Penelope’s friends from Star labs to hold onto each other and share their immense guilt and grief. They had all that technology at their fingertips, and yet they still couldn’t save either mother or baby.

Iris was huddled against Barry’s chest, hiding her face which tears rolled down at a steady pace, Cisco stood off to the side, his own eyes red from his private crying. Caitlin was trying her best to stay strong, but couldn’t help the guilt seeping into her veins. Harry stood stiffly a few feet away, his lips pressed into a firm line. It would be a long time before any of them would smile again. 

Ever so slowly, they broke away from the grim sight and headed to their respective cars. When it was just Barry and Iris left, Iris looked up into Barry’s face. 

“Should we have tried to convince her to get rid of it? Would it have made a difference?” Iris asked Barry. Barry didn’t need to ask what she was referring to. 

“I’m not sure that she would have gone with it, even if we had begged her too.” He quietly responded, hugging Iris and resting his chin on her head. “Pen was always stubborn, if she made up her mind, no one could change it. Besides, even if she had, Thawne ruined her, I— I don’t know if she would have recovered from that. I can only hope that wherever she is, she is at least happier and is smiling again.” 

*****

“It’s time to go,” Joe’s soft voice spoke from where I had been watching the funeral of Penelope Wright. “It’s time to get you out of this city, and to your new life.” 

My eyes dropped from the gloomy sight to look at the back of Joe’s car where my son was sleeping in his baby carrier. I was lucky enough to have a newborn that rarely fussed, and literally slept for most of the day. 

“Did I make the right decision?” I asked, looking up at Joe’s face. “Lying to them, making them believe I’m dead, we’re dead?”

Joe let out a sigh before lightly placing a hand on my shoulder and giving me a fatherly look. 

“I can’t say there is a wrong or right choice, but right now, you need to look out for yourself, and your son.” He said as he led me over to the car. “You don’t need to worry about anything else, everything Harrison Wells had, the real Harrison Wells, is yours now, I got you a farm outside the city. It’s remote enough for you to raise your son without worrying about someone stumbling across you two.” 

Getting into the passenger seat, I stayed quiet as I reached for the packet of information on my new identity and life. Opening the front page, I was greeted by social security cards, I.d.’s, and a host of other important paperwork. Penelope Wright was dead and wouldn’t be coming back, and Gemma Anderson and her son, Thaddeus, would be moving into a farmhouse about an hour from Central City.

I was wealthy, wealthy beyond comprehension now thanks to a dead man’s money, and would soon be running a farm that grew soybeans and corn. I would have a few farm animals like goats, cows, and chickens for the dairy products, and planned on making a mother of all vegetable garden.

Out of city life and into the countryside. 

Hired help would keep most of the farm side of things running, but even I needed something to do around the farm while raising Thaddeus. I could do it, I had managed to pull myself from the brink of death, starting over with a new life should be a cakewalk. Picking up my new phone, I started scrolling through the pictures of the farmhouse.

It was an old-style farmhouse, heritage even, had ten bedrooms, fourteen bathrooms, a massive kitchen and dining room, an office, several sitting rooms, a mudroom specifically for the farming lifestyle, and a gorgeous wrap-around porch. The best part, it was all renovated with soundproof walls, high-end appliances, updated bathrooms, basically everything a human could want in a home. 

And it was mine. Excessive, probably, but it was the perfect place for Thaddeus and me to hide. On the off chance the three people that knew I was still alive accidentally spilled the beans to our friends, which was highly unlikely in the first place, they would never think to look for me on a multimillion-dollar farm. I just wasn’t the type to spend the money. 

“Will you promise me that you’ll look after them?” I asked slowly lowering the phone and looking at Joe. “Their faces, I didn’t think my death would affect them this much…” 

“I’ll take care of everything, Gemma, I promise,” Joe said, and for a moment, I was wondering why he had called me Gemma. Then it hit me, Penelope Wright really was dead, and I had treat her so. “I’ll keep an eye on Barry and Cisco, Caitlin will too, you’re not alone in this.”

“I know, I just— having a newborn isn’t the only thing I’m worried about,” I muttered quietly, looking down at my hand as I made red electricity run between my fingers. “I’m not exactly human anymore… am I?” 

“Maybe not, but this is a second chance, become who you want to be, Gemma, you’re the one in control now.” 

*****

Five years later

My fingers pulled down ears of corn from the tall stalks of the corn plants I had planted earlier this year. It was a good year for corn, and I had been cooking up plenty of recipes with the fresh corn from my garden. Thad was probably at his whits end eating all things corn, but with both of our metabolisms needing an excessive amount of calories, he gobbled up what I put down in front of him. 

It wasn’t easy keeping a five-year-old of his intelligence and metabolism entertained, but at least out here on the farm he had miles of land to run around on without anyone seeing. When he wasn’t out running around using the speed force, he could be found reading or tinkering around with little inventions.

Not only had he inherited his father's speed, but his smarts as well. For a five-year-old, Thad had the knowledge of someone with several college degrees. It was one of those things that I just had to accept, there really was no use in trying to understand how my son could possibly be so smart… then again, he always had his face in a book and photographic memory helped him to never forget what he read. My child wasn’t even in first grade and he was smarter than most people on the planet. 

He was definitely his father’s son, there was no denying that. 

Looking down at my basket filled with other freshly picked fruits and vegetables, I decided I had finally collected enough food for dinner. Hauling the basket up onto my hip, I picked my way back through the vegetable garden, heading for the back door of the farmhouse. It was going to be a lonely dinner, most of the farmhands were off since the harvest of the north field had just been completed, which left just Thad and me on the farm with a few helpers that usually only stuck around until five. 

Carrying the basket of produce into the massive farmhouse, I headed for the kitchen to wash and prep the food for cooking. While I was running the potatoes and corn underneath the water, the head maid of the farm hustled into the kitchen. 

“I don’t know how you manage to keep up with that boy, Miss,” Lydia huffed, her cheeks flushed red from exertion. Laughing at her words, I gave her a big smile and shrugged. 

“Trust me when I say sometimes even I have trouble keeping up with Thad,” I told her before glancing at the calendar on the wall with the dates of the weddings that were going to be held in one of the barns on my property. “By the way, I received an email from Taylor Good, they’ll take the fifteenth, how’s the catering hall holding up?”

“Remodel just finished last Friday, they’re ready for a streak of bridezillas,” Lydia confirmed, slapping a towel over her shoulder as she marched over to the calendar. “I also believe that the crop of peaches is ready for harvesting, perhaps we can arrange the next few menus around them?”

“Peaches?” I mused as I set the corn and potatoes aside to start washing the carrots I had pulled up. “Hmm, you’re making me hungry for cobbler, better not mention that to the little master, he might start demanding we make him some.”

Lydia shook her head as she scribbled a few notes on the calendar. She capped the sharpie before returning it to its holder and turned back to me. 

“Well everything has been seen to, is there anything else you need done this night, Gemma?” I shook my head as I transferred the cleaned vegetables to be dried with a kitchen towel. 

“Nope, that’s everything I needed done today, have a good night Lydia,” I told her, bidding her goodbye for the night. With that, the rest of the staff slowly trickled out of the farmhouse and headed home. Alone once more, that meant it was time to release Thad to the farm. Drying off my hand, I headed for the small walkie talkie station and picked one up. “Go ahead and burn off some steam, kiddo, just make sure you eat something before you leave.”

The radio crackled for a second or two before Thad responded. 

“Kay mom!” Thad’s squeaky and babyish voice chirped back before I felt a pull on the speed force and saw a streak of red leave the farmhouse, disappearing from view. Returning to the vegetables, I started working on turning them into corn fritters and corn chowder. 

Roughly an hour later Thad came tumbling into the kitchen, his blond hair a complete mess and sporting what looked like mud. My eyes traveled to his outfit, completely covered. Closing my eyes and willing myself to take a deep breath, I pointed in the direction of the stairs and told him to take a bath. 

While I was stirring the soup on the stove and monitoring the fritters crisping up in the cast iron skillet, my phone started ringing. Glancing over at the caller I.d., my eyebrow rose. Reaching for the earpiece, I accepted the call as I slid the earpiece onto my ear. 

“Evening detective,” I answered as I resumed stirring the chowder. 

“Evening Gemma,” Joe echoed with a tired sigh. “How’s the farm?”

“Same old, same old, but that’s not why you called,” I answered, setting the wooden spoon down and stepping back to lean against the island counter. “You don’t call unless it’s absolutely necessary, what’s wrong?” 

“New meta, we can’t catch em’,” Joe explained, cutting to the chase as requested. My eyebrow rose, a meta that Barry and the team couldn’t catch? That was practically unheard of. 

“Have you tried contacting Harry?” I questioned, crossing my arms and thinking over how a meta could possibly slip through their fingers. 

“We did, he’s stuck taking care of a project, but that’s not the only problem we have…” The sudden change in his voice sent my brain on high alert. Straightening up, my eyes narrowed. 

“I get the feeling I am not going to like what is going to come out of your mouth.” 

“You want me to not tell you?” The growing feeling of dread forming in the pit of my stomach said yes and leave me the hell out of it. 

“Is it something I need to know?” I asked, switching tactics and trying to push back the feeling of nausea. 

“I hate to say it, but yes, I think you should know, it could possibly affect Thad.” There was only one probable problem that could affect Thad.

“Are you sure that it’s possible?” I questioned in a strained voice. 

“Positive,” Joe sighed again. “We have no choice but to work with him to figure out how to stop Renegade, I mean not even he can run fast enough to catch Renegade.”

“But you think I might,” I answered his unasked question, brushing my thumb across my lips. “They’re putting a lot of faith in a man who has betrayed them before, why?” 

“Like I said, they have no choice, Renegade is causing problems, big ones, and if we can’t stop him, he might tear Central City apart with his speed alone. Gem, you’re the fastest meta that will ever be, if anyone can help, it’ll be you. I’m not saying that you need to get involved, not with Thad, but if you can think of anything that might help, call me.” 

“I’ll do some scouting tonight, see what I can dig up,” I told him as I rubbed my forehead. “But I took up my mantle not to be a nightly hero, but out of necessity, it’s not a cure-all, and I am not at anyone's beck and call.” 

*****

That night, after Thad had passed out on his bed and I had set up the farmhouse security system, I headed down to the basement and entered the secret room that housed my equipment for when I went out as the fastest meta in history. 

The Red Lightning.

My suit was dark red, completely sleek with wedge boots built to take the friction caused by my speed with a hidden feature in the wedge part. An energy absorber was built into the material so after kicking something, or someone, it would blast back the built up energy. Obviously, I didn’t have the strength to kick grown men back, but with these heels, I could send them flying. 

Added onto the bodysuit was a collar that extended a helmet to surround my face to protect both my identity and my body from foreign substances. Despite having incredibly healing, Barry was enough of an example to show that I couldn’t always rely on it. 

Of course, I had Harry to thank for the construction of the suit. I couldn’t exactly go waltzing to Cisco and ask him to make me a suit, he wasn’t one of the ones who knew I was alive. Changing into the suit, I zipped up the back to my neck and tapped the side of the collar, manually engaging the helmet. 

The technology surrounded my head and the interface appeared on the screen I looked out of. Having tech from Harry’s world really helped, especially with neural connections. I could work my suit with mental commands alone.

Pulling up the directions to Central city, I did one last check to make sure Thad was still sleeping and keeping a small video playing of his bedroom, I started running. Fields of corn and soybeans disappeared as I ran the distance from the farm to the outskirts of Central city. What would have normally taken an hour, only took me a few seconds. 

Taking a position up on the roof of one of the buildings in the south of the city, I pulled up the traffic cameras and scanned for speed force activity. It didn’t take me long to spot the trail of Barry’s lightning, and predicting the path of whatever he was chasing, I could see dark flashes of lightning from what only had to be Renegade.

Renegade was leading Barry on a chase in an attempt to tire him out, and by the looks of things, it was working. Barry was slowing down. One moment Renegade was leading him on a chase and the next he was tossing Barry around like he was a rag doll. 

Staying where I stood, I watched Barry try to fight back, but he simply wasn’t getting back up fast enough and continued to get thrown against concrete and brick.

“Come on Barry,” I murmured. “Just run, you can’t take him…” 

Naturally, Bartholomew Allen doesn’t know how to back down, and I quickly figured out that if intervention on my part didn’t happen, he would get himself killed. Plotting out an intercept course, I kicked it into high gear, streaking through the city faster than the cameras would be able to pick up. 

Running to where Renegade had just thrown Barry up against a concrete wall, I quickly smashed my fist into Renegade’s side. He wasn’t expecting my punch and went flying through the brick wall Barry previously had crashed against. 

Not wasting any time to gauge how long Renegade was going to stay down, I ran over to Barry and darted off with him. Barry was still quite dazed, and even when I slid to a stop in the lab’s medical room and deposited him on the medical bed, he still couldn’t focus on me.

Pushing his head back down as he tried to sit up, my other hand reached for the zipper of his suit and zipped it open to reveal his incredibly bruised chest. Barry’s wheezing chest and rapid breaths were enough of an indication to tell me something was wrong, and doing a quick scan of his chest cavity, I found that his heart had been beaten into an erratic state of fluctuation.

His electrical circadian rhythm had been disrupted by Renegade and now his body was struggling to compensate. A quick reset of his electrical impulses should do it. 

“What is… happening… to me…” Barry gasped, his hands scratching at his chest. I swatted his hands away from his chest. 

“Your electrical circadian rhythm has been disrupted,” I told him, my helmet scrambling my voice. “Stay still.”

I held my left hand out over his chest, charging up red lightning between my gloved fingers. Ignoring the sounds of feet running towards the room, I concentrated on procuring just the right amount of electrical energy. 

“How do you… fix it…?” He rasped out, his fingers gripping the edges of the gurney. 

“By resetting your heart,” I stated before blasting his chest with the charged energy. Red and yellow electricity buzzed between his chest and my hand as our powers intermingled. Barry’s back arched as he let out a strangled scream.

“Barry!” Caitlin and Cisco cried out as Barry slumped back down, his vitals now back to his baseline. Withdrawing my hand, I crossed my arms and stared down at him. He couldn’t see my irritation on my face, but I hoped I got my point across. 

“So you basically just zapped my heart, great,” Barry panted, now out of his stressed state. 

“Sometimes I think you have a death wish,” I stated, turning and walking away, allowing Caitlin and Cisco to rush up to the bedside. 

“I had that handled, I just needed a little more time,” Barry grunted as Caitlin started pressing on his chest, and Cisco turned to start gawking at me.

“Thirty seconds longer and you’d be dead, I think not.” A new voice rang out, the three of them scowled at the blond-haired Eobard Thawne as he leaned against the entrance to the room. “She saved your life.” 

I had to use every ounce of control I possessed to not move a muscle as I slowly turned my body to face the man I had given my life to. Even though he no longer looked like Harrison Wells, he still looked just as good to me as he had five years prior.

“Thank you,” Barry said, looking at me before turning his eyes back to Eobard. “But how am I supposed to take him down if I don’t learn anything about him?”

“That answer should be obvious,” I interjected, drumming my fingers on my arm before taking a step towards the exit. 

“Wait!” Cisco called, halting my exit. Twisting my head, I looked at the man who used to be one of my closest friends. “So you’re the Red Lightning, which is totally awesome that I get to be in your presence by the way, why don’t you help us? You are the fastest meta in history, you’re even faster than he is…”

Cisco jerked his thumb at Eobard who made no notion of acknowledging Cisco’s words but coolly watched me with an unreadable expression on his face. 

“I’m not here to be your savior, Mr. Ramon, nor do I have any further intention to intervene,” I informed Cisco, watching his face fall as my words sunk in. “The answer is clear, he isn’t fast enough, and probably won’t ever be… yet speed isn’t always the answer.” 

“What are you implying then?” If they could see my lips, they’d see them curve into a cynical smirk. 

“You have Dr. Eobard Thawne, Mr. Allen. I suggest you start using his extensive knowledge, it’s not every day you have access to such a brilliant mind.” I spoke out, making Eobard’s eyebrow raise elegantly. 

“Do you know what happened last time we trusted him?” Cisco huffed out, flicking a finger at Eobard. “My best friend died right there on that gurney…”

A somber mood quickly fell over all four of them, a particularly dark shadow crossing Eobard’s face. He must have seen my grave and the supposed grave of our child. It was hard to see, but I could detect pain behind his cold blue eyes. 

“This isn’t a matter of trust, Mr. Ramon, it’s about saving the city.” I reminded him as my three friends glanced at the stoic Eobard Thawne. His ability to suppress his true feeling once again coming through strong. 

While the three of them looked at Eobard in distaste, the little video of Thad started blinking red as he moved around before sliding out of bed. It was time to leave. Without warning, I flashed out of the lab, bolting in the direction of home, clearing Central city in less than a second. 

Changing out of my suit and returning it to its case in record time, I was quietly walking for Thad’s bedroom just as he came wobbling out of the bathroom. His face was filled with sleep, and with one look I could tell he probably was still half asleep. 

His blue eyes instantly found mine, and walking over to me, he held up his skinny little arms. Letting out a small chuckle, I bent down and scooped him up against my chest, letting him wrap his limbs around my body.

“Bad dreams again?” I questioned softly as I slowly walked back towards his room. His head nodded against my neck as I started rubbing his back. “Just remember little lightning, you can outrun any bad dream, don’t ever forget that.” 

*****

Joe led the group to his SUV while the speedsters led Renegade on a while goose chase away from the non-meta Team Flash members. Cisco, Iris, and Caitlin hadn’t wanted to leave the safety of the lab, but it had become compromised, leaving them to scramble for safety. 

“Where are we gonna go?” Cisco fretted, holding his laptop close to his chest as if it were his lifeline. Joe pursed his lips and looked around, waiting for Barry and Eobard to show up. 

“I have an idea, it’s last resort, but we’ll be safe there, we just need for Barry and Thawne to get back,” Joe answered as he continued to scan the small alley. 

“How safe is safe?” Caitlin asked, looking at the iPad in her hands, she had been monitoring Barry’s vitals more closely since Thawne had started coaching him to increase his speed again. 

“Safer than the lab, Renegade won’t even consider looking for us there, it’s not in the city,” Joe explained as Thawne appeared in a red flash, Barry following suit, albeit out of breath and wheezing slightly. “Good, you’re here, climb in, I know where we can lay low and regroup.” 

Barry staggered over to the SUV while Thawne followed suit, no one liked the idea of being in a car with Eobard Thawne, but at this point, they were out of options. All six of them squeezed into the SUV and Joe started driving, heading out of the city. 

“So you gonna tell us where we’re going, or who you are taking us to?” Cisco asked nervously, tapping his fingers on his pants. Joe took a deep breath and cleared his thoughts. 

“I have something to admit, and none of you are going to be particularly happy with me,” Joe spoke up, making all five of them perk up, even Eobard. 

“What is it?” Barry asked, his eyes drawing together. 

“I’m taking you to the Red Lightning,” Joe started, the entire car was silent as five minds processed that information, some faster than others. “Her place is safe, Renegade won’t look for us there, not that he could outrun her and her punches.”

“You know the Red Lightning and you’ve talked with her, yet you never told any of us?” Iris asked her father, disbelief, and anger in her eyes. “We could have used her help so many times before!” 

“She has her own issues to deal with, and I made a promise to her years ago that I would respect her privacy and life,” Joe argued back as he turned onto the highway. “It’s the least I could do given her life circumstances.”

“Not everyone is at your beck and call, Miss West,” Eobard drawled out from where he was lounging, slowly drumming his fingers on his knee. 

“You’ve known her for years?” Barry questioned softly, betrayal clear in his voice. Joe let out a noise of frustration.

“Look, trust me on this, when we get there, assuming she doesn’t rip my head off for blowing her cover, everything will be explained.” 

The rest of the one hour ride went by slowly and tensely, the air in the SUV getting stagnant as the burning question of Joe’s secret burned in their minds. Who was the Red Lightning, and why had he kept her a secret for so many years?

When Joe finally turned down the road leading to the farm, the SUV passing the grand sign with Anderson Farms printed in beautiful scripture heads perked up.

“Wait a minute, isn’t this the farm that I looked at as a possible venue for our wedding?” Iris asked as she strained to look at the grandiose farmhouse on the horizon, slowly getting bigger. 

“Yeah, you looked into renting one of the barns,” Barry said as he remembered the pictures of the picturesque barn and grounds. “We decided on the church because they had no openings within the time frame we wanted. This place is really popular…” 

Iris turned her eyes to her father, her brown eyes accusatory. 

“Just— don’t ask any questions for now,” Joe said as he drove the SUV to the right of the big circle in front of the farmhouse manor. He pulled the SUV to a stop in front of the beautifully carved staircase to the wrap around porch, and the six of them piled out, staring up at the beautiful home. 

“She lives here?” Cisco gaped, his eyes soaking in the massive grounds and beautiful landscaping. That’s when they noticed a blond little boy sitting on the porch, swinging his legs under the bench he sat on while he read the book in his lap. He looked up with bright blue eyes as they approached the front steps, Joe stepped forwards in greeting. 

“Hey, Thad,” Joe called to the boy. “Your mama around?”

Thad’s eyes brightened up at recognizing the older man, and closing his book, he beamed at Joe. 

“Yep! She’s out back though! I’ll go get her!” Thad exclaimed before using his enhanced speed and disappearing from the porch in a trail of red lightning. Cisco’s jaw dropped while a multitude of expressions passed through the group.

“Who was that?” Iris asked, turning her eyes to her father while Caitlin, Barry, and Cisco tried to process what they had just seen. Eobard had his eyes narrowed, this was unexpected, there had been no mention of the Red Lightning having an offspring when he was in school. Nor did he forget to question why the little boy looked exactly like him when he was a child himself.

“That was Thad, the terror of Anderson farms and the Red Lightning’s son,” Joe sighed out, scratching his jaw. Four heads turned to stare at Eobard, the same thought echoing in their minds. Why did that boy look exactly like Eobard Thawne? “And assuming she’s willing to speak to us… I’m sorry Iris, but I had to…” 

Iris looked at her father in confusion as the front door creaked open. Six pairs of eyes turned to the lithe figure standing in the massive doorway, and when she stepped out onto the porch, Iris let out a sob, covering her mouth. Barry caught his wife as his own knees grew weak. Cisco wasn’t that far behind them, his own eyes watery.

Caitlin, although in the know about her being alive, couldn’t help but sniffle for the five years without her friend had been hard. Even Eobard had lost some of his composure, his cold exterior fading slightly as he drank in the appearance of the one woman who had managed to capture his heart. 

Penelope Wright walked forwards until the setting sun just barely graced her delicate face, showing the transformation she had undergone five years prior. 

“Apologies, Gemma,” Joe spoke up. “But we’re in over our heads, and we need a place to crash for the night.” 

Joe held his breath, hoping that she would at least entertain the idea of allowing them to stay on her farm. 

*****

My eyes flickered across the group, starting with a white as a sheet Cisco who looked like he was going to keel over any second. Then to Iris and Barry, Barry being the only thing holding a sobbing Iris up onto her feet. Skipping over Joe, my eyes briefly connected with Caitlin’s before ultimately settling on Eobard.

He looked like he had been punched in the gut, and felt it, his usual stony expression was wavering, betraying him to a moment of weakness. My death had affected him… good, he needed to hurt just as much as I had. Drawing in a deep breath, I briefly glanced down at the worn floorboards of the porch before returning my eyes to Joe. 

“You are in time for supper,” I announced quietly. “Leave your shoes by the door and wash up,” With that, I turned on my heel and strode back into the farmhouse. I had a hard time controlling the trembles running through my body. Just seeing him again, and knowing that he was seeing me for the first time after so long, it brought back memories. Painful ones. 

Brushing a hand over my slightly messy braid, I entered the kitchen and checked the timer, five minutes until the corn, cheese, and beef lasagnas would be done. They couldn’t have come at a better time. I had made two large ones, planning on freezing one to reheat when Thad got hungry. Now I had food ready to feed them. 

Obviously, Joe wouldn’t come here unless it was a last resort, that was the only reason why I was letting them in. Despite my insistence on staying out of the meta business, I couldn’t turn my back on my family and friends. While they filed into my large kitchen, I started getting down six extra plates from the cabinet.

“The least I can do for dropping by unannounced is help,” Joe said as he came over and took the plates from my hands. “I’m sorry, Gem, I really am. I had no choice.” 

“I understand,” I told him softly with a gentle smile. “I had five quiet years, that’s more than I could have asked for.”

“I’ll get these on the table, the silverware still where they were last time?” He asked with a playful smile. Rolling my eyes, I nodded. 

“Literally nothing changes around here,” I informed him before nodding my head at my oven. “Lasagna has less than five minutes left, hope you like corn.” 

With that, I went to the fridge and started pulling out the other food entree I had prepared earlier. Corn, tomato, and black bean salsa, cantaloupe, and the farm's latest attempt at homemade corn chips which turned out surprisingly good. 

While I moved around the kitchen, I could feel the eyes of my friends on my every move, yet none of them spoke. 

“Mr. Allen, make yourself useful and put these on the table,” I said as I flickered my eyes to Barry. He blinked at me before moving to do as I asked. 

“I’m sorry, but I’m having a little internal crisis at the moment,” Cisco said weakly, raising his hand. Looking at him, my lips pressed into a firm line. 

“I will answer questions,” I told him as the timer went off. “After dinner,” Grabbing the oven mitts, I pulled out the two bubbling, cheesy lasagnas and carefully carried them over to the dining table where I put them on hotplates. The six of them, some still half-dazed, filed into the dining room.

Iris was sitting numbly in one of the chairs with Barry comforting her, Cisco plopped himself in a seat while his eyes darted around, and Caitlin soon sat down next to him, snapping at him to stop fidgeting. That left Eobard and Joe, Joe was looking at the pictures hanging on the wall while Eobard was blankly staring at me. 

“I’ll be back,” I announced before heading for the doorway. “I have a wayward boy to hunt down.” 

Heading to the back porch, I looked around the backyard, not spotting a tuff of Thad’s blond hair anywhere. 

“Thad! Dinners ready and we are not waiting for you!” I called, crossing my arms to make a point. He was in front of me in an instant, dirt smudged on his cheek from whatever had been doing. Dropping to a knee, I scrubbed at the dirt spot with my thumb. “How did you manage to get that in five minutes?” 

“It’s an acquired skill!” Thad responded, puffing out his chest proudly. 

“Yeah? Well, we have guests, that means you need to be on your best behavior.” I reminded him, booping him on the nose. Thad scrunched his nose before nodding. 

“Kay.” Standing up with a smile, Thad and I headed into the farmhouse and walked into the dining room. Everyone was sitting down at this point, and they watched as Thad happily skipped over to his seat and climbed up into his booster seat. 

Leaning to the center of the table, I cut a large slice of lasagna for Thad and set it on his plate before piling salsa, cantaloupe, and corn chips on. When I set the plate down in front of Thad, Cisco’s eyebrows shot to the ceiling. Ignoring him, I gave Thad a look.

“Need I remind you to actually taste your food for once?” I asked him dryly as he picked up his fork and looked up at me with innocence sparkling in his blue eyes. The rest of the food was dished out and as soon as everyone had a full plate, Thad went to town. 

Sighing and rubbing my face as my child stuffed his cheeks like a chipmunk, I stared at Thad as he made his meal disappear in record time. I wasn’t the only one, the six of them were all equally fascinated by how fast he could put food in his stomach.

“How many times do I have to tell you to slow down, I don’t starve you,” I rumbled, taking a bite of lasagna. Thad turned his eyes to me. 

“I’m a growing boy, mom,”

“So you say… Are you sure you’re not a vacuum?” I questioned him, raising my eyebrow. Thad stuck his tongue out at me, and a slight giggle came from Iris. Iris’s giggle seemed to make the room less tense, and by the time everyone had cleared their plates, Thad was wiggling in his seat, anxious to bolt away and get back to his book.

“May I be excused from the table?” He asked, looking up at me with pleading eyes. At least he retained manners. 

“Yes,” I said, finally releasing my energizer son. He gave me his thousand-watt smile before giving me a hug and zipping out of the room in a red flash. 

“He gets more and more energetic every time I see him,” Joe mused, his eyes trailing after the red streak.

“It’s a wonder that I can get him to eat enough without him passing out the way he runs around.” I returned before setting my fork on my plate and leaning back in my seat. “But now that he is fed and distracted, we can talk.”

“Yeah that would be nice,” Cisco spoke up. “Cause I would seriously like to know how you are still alive Penelope.” 

“My name is Gemma,” I corrected him as I rose to my feet. Cisco blinked at me in confusion, rolling my eyes, I sped around the room, picking up the dishes and placing them all in the dishwasher in a millisecond. Returning to my seat, and lounging back against the regal wood, I watched as amazement appeared on their faces. “Obviously you have questions, so ask away.”

“Why did you let us believe you were dead all these years?” Iris asked, not pulling her punches. 

“Because I had to focus on myself and my child,” I explained, my fingers curling around the armrests of the chair as Eobard’s eyes bored into mine. “And before you get huffy, yes, I did die, my body couldn’t handle the pressure and trauma. Caitlin and Harry managed to kick start my heart with a little help from the DNA left behind, that’s how I became a meta. Needless to say, I didn’t want any meta problems near me or my child, Joe helped me get out of the city.” 

“So the two caskets we buried,” Barry mumbled, his eyebrows furrowing. 

“Empty,” I confirmed. “We both survived,” I paused, chewing my lips lightly. “I can understand why you would be angry with me, but I was only thinking about my son, nothing else.”

*****

It was after nine by the time I was done playing twenty questions. Naturally, my friends were exhausted, so after several hugs, and promises to ‘never die again’, I showed them the guest rooms they could stay in. Iris was the first to turn in, she was an exhausted mess and Joe was catching up on missed sleep. I had basically shown Eobard his room and then slammed the door in his face, refusing to converse with him any further.

That left us four to catch up on the last five years.

“So you’ve been raising your son all by yourself these last few years?” Cisco asked as he dug into his ice cream. I nodded from where I was leaning against the kitchen countertop. 

“Pretty much, I was scared that the staff would find out he had powers so I did everything myself,” I explained while rubbing my neck. “Thaddeus was quite an easy baby to take care of luckily, he takes after his father in the smarts department. I’m sure you’ve noticed that his intelligence far succeeds the average five-year-old.”

“Oh yeah, I noticed,” Cisco continued. “He was reading a book on nuclear fission when we arrived.” 

Ah, nuclear fission, the book of the day, he had already read it once. Thad literally went through a book a day, it got to the point where he had his own kindle to keep up with how much he read. 

“You raised him right though, seems like a good kid,” Barry spoke up, I looked at him and shrugged. 

“I tried my best, and I’m sure I wasn’t always perfect, but I want him to see the good in the world, in the people. Not just the destruction meta’s can bring.”

“He looks like a happy, healthy kid,” Caitlin said in agreement. “I’m assuming he consumes a lot of the calorie bars I send?” 

“We both do,” I answered. “Perks of being the fastest in history, Thad isn’t that far behind me on the speed scale. I wasn’t lying about struggling to get enough calories in his system.” 

“I don’t want to be the Debbie Downer, but how are you feeling about having Thawne under your roof again?” Cisco asked. “I mean he is technically your baby daddy.” 

“Oh for the love of God, do not call him that,” I huffed at Cisco before closing my eyes and lightly shaking my head. “I don’t know what to think, so I am doing what I’ve done for the past five years.”

“Which is?” Caitlin prompted, I rubbed my forehead. 

“Pretending that he doesn’t exist,” I told her as Thad tottered into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes and yawning. “Time for bed?”

Thad nodded up at me and held up his arms in demand. Picking him up, I let him wrap himself around my body like he usually did. 

“It’s been a long day, you should get some sleep,” I told the three of them as Thad leaned his head on my shoulder. “You are safe here, and the mattresses are memory foam.”

Cisco groaned in relief before abruptly turning around and heading for the staircase. Barry shook his head and wasn’t that far behind him. That left me alone with Caitlin who was studying me carefully. 

“How are you really feeling about being around him again, because I know how much you cared about him.” 

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly before heading up the stairs and to Thad’s bedroom. Thad was out like a light before his head even hit the pillows, and backing out of his room, I closed the door and rested my forehead on the old wood. 

I had to stay strong for Thad, my break down could happen in the confines of my soundproof bedroom. Gliding across the hardwood floors, I headed for the last room at the end of the hall, the master suite. I had yet to address the problem of Eobard Thawne, the father of my son, and eternal love of my life, and something told me it was going to be explosive. 

Taking a quick shower to rinse off the sweat and dirt from the day's work, I changed into one of my nicer silk nightgowns. A night like this called for comfort, and the feeling of silk on my skin was exactly what I needed. 

Sitting in one of the lounge chairs, I did a bit of light reading to distract myself from who was currently just down the hall from me. I was good at running from my problems, just not at facing them. I was so absorbed in old memories I wasn’t even reading anymore, and even failed to notice that a certain someone had entered my room, taking a seat across from me. 

The moment I did realize that he was sitting in front of me, lounging entirely relaxed, his blue eyes studying me in the most provocative way, I froze. But not for long. One second passed and I instantly threw the hardcover book as hard as I could at his head. 

He dodged the heavy book as I leaped to my feet and pulled my arm back, throttling a punch at his face with as much strength as I could muster. He dodged that too, swerving out of the way while trying to make a pass at my offending limb. The second his hand closed around my forearm I was whipping in a reverse circle smashing my elbow into his face, making him stumble back. 

A surge of smugness floods through my system at landing a blow on the great Eobard Thawne, but it didn’t stay long, anger as quickly to replace the feeling. My hands reached for the standing lamp and yanking it from the wall, I swung it at his body. He was out of the way in an instant, making the light shatter against the sturdy wall.

“Pen,” Eobard warned, holding up his hands as he placed the lounge chairs between us. 

“My. Name. Is. GEMMA!” I shouted at him, anger clear on my face. Lifting up my leg, I gave the nearest chair a hearty kick, making it fly into the one nearest Eobard. He just barely dodged the incoming furniture which crashed into a chest full of sweaters. Surging forwards, I grabbed onto his shoulder and tried to throw him clear across the room. 

Eobard grappled onto my arm and used the momentum to send us both tumbling in a streak of red. We crashed into my desk and chair, the wood splintering beneath our bodies. While I continually tried to punch and claw at him, he avoided my blows, averting my body from the sharp points of splintered wood as he did so. 

Shoving him back into my armoire, which made one of the doors fall off while the other clung onto a single hinge, I glared at him with hate burning in my eyes. From there we were a whirlwind of red lightning, crashing into my vanity and breaking the mirror, tearing up the rug from the friction beneath our feet, even one of the posters on my four-poster bed got smashed, making it break in half. 

By the time my room was a complete mess of broken furniture, I was shaking, nearly crying, and breathing hard, not from exertion, but from emotions, I was struggling to control. 

“Why?” I panted out, my hands visibly shaking and I half glared at him, my lips trembling and betraying my ultimate feelings. I slammed him into the wall, making an indent while nearly punching a fist through the drywall. “Why did you have to smile at me like you did, why did you have to ask me for coffee? Why did you ever have to make me fall in love with you! Why!?” 

Rather than receiving a response from him, I found myself twirled around, my own back pressed up against the wall with Eobard pinning my wrists down and using his body to keep me from throwing him off. 

“Because you captivated me,” He responded, staring directly into my eyes, his gaze so intense I felt like he was staring into my soul. “And I couldn’t resist the urge to get to know you.” 

“I’ve tried so hard to hate you for what you did,” I said, the fight slowly leaving my body as it became clear that even filled with rage I couldn’t bring myself to actually hurt him. “But I can’t even bring myself to actually use my speed against you. I could pulverize you if I wanted to, rip your heart out and crush it between my fingers like it was a water balloon. But for some ungodly reason, I can’t.” 

“I know,” Eobard echoed, switching his hold to one hand so he could gently run his fingers across my cheek and into my hair, his hand taking my head in his grasp. “And that’s one of the many reasons why I love you.” 

“Pretty words from a pretty man,” I whispered, not wanting to fall for his smooth-talking a second time. “I learned my lesson, Eobard Thawne, and it cost me everything. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

“Neither will I,” He returned before tightening his grip in my hair and surging forwards, hungrily pressing his lips against mine. I thought my heart was going to combust right there as the intense familiarity of his lips on mine invaded every thought in my brain. I was overtaken with the memory of desire, unbridled passion, and emotional vulnerability. It had been an intoxicating feeling and left me high on love for this man, I had forgotten how addicting he was to me. 

He pulled the deepest feelings of love and desire from my body, the very taste of his kisses sending my mind spinning back to the time of pure happiness. Falling slack against the wall, Eobard drew a strangled sound of need and want from my throat with just his mouth. His tongue teasingly traced my sensitive lips until I parted them, from there his hunger only increased. His determination to dominate and feed off the moans, pants, and gasps that bubbled in my throat, becoming prevalent with every second that ticked by. 

He wasn’t the only one who craved control. 

Slipping my wrists from his grasp, I planted my hands on his chest and shoved him back into the ruined armoire. Prowling forwards, I sped up to him and fisted his shirt, craning my head back, I stared up into his blue eyes that were filled with lust and desire. Tightening my grip on his shirt, I pressed my body up against his and lifted myself up onto my toes to reconnect our hungry lips.

Words couldn’t describe the feeling of being pressed up against his hard and toned body once more. Eobard’s hands landed on my sides, sliding around the silk fabric until they pressed firmly against my back. His fingers were quickly traveling down to my barely covered ass, taking a handful each. Moans of appreciation tumbled from my mouth, and in a quick whirlwind of movement, Eobard reversed our positions.

My back hit the wall, our lips not once separating. Eobard’s left hand left my ass to take my leg and pull it up against his waist while he ground his hips against mine, further pressing my body to the wall. Tugging at his lips, I slid one of my hands up his chest to scrape my nails along his shoulder and neck.

It wasn’t enough to just kiss this man, I needed more. Sinking my nails into the fabric, I gave it one vicious tug. The fabric ripped apart shortly before I flicked to the side and explored every inch of his bare chest with my hands. I needed to ingrain it in my head, map out each ridge, and divot until I could picture him clearly in my mind.

This was who Eobard Thawne truly was, he wasn’t hiding behind the body of the dark-haired Harrison Wells, no this blond-haired man was the epitome of Eobard Thawne, and I needed to know exactly what he felt like.

Eobard had a natural disposition to want to be in control, and that became apparent when his hand disappeared from my waist to snatch one of my wandering own and press it firmly against the wall. Letting out a small grunt from the force he used, our lips separated for a few moments while our noses brushed together and we shared oxygen.

I was mesmerized by his glittering eyes, different ones that had enchanted me over ten years ago when we had first met. Blatant desire burned in those blue eyes, and with a territorial look flashing through those dark eyes, he dove back down. His mouth claimed mine, over and over, hungry and intense, ravenous even. 

While our mouths tried to assert dominance over each other, Eobard’s fingers started to deviate to the apex of my thighs, slipping beneath the thin scrap of underwear I had on. My entire body trembled when his long fingers stroked through my folds, his fingers vibrating every softly.

It was like nothing I have ever felt before and intensified his touch to the point of nothing I had ever felt before. Soft whines and moans poured out of my throat, my apparent lack of intimacy these last five years showing with my desperation for more. 

But what I wanted right now was my hands on his skin, I wanted to feel him underneath my legs again, feel his muscles strain from my teasing touches and sensual kisses. So with a surge of confidence and power, I zipped our bodies over to the only somewhat intact furniture in my room, my bed. 

Having Eobard lying flat on his back with me perched on top of him, my legs straddling his waist while I pressed my palms into his chest was a very satisfying feeling and one that brought back many happy memories. With a pleased smirk stretching across my lips, I bent down and brushed my lips along his chest, the heat from his skin intoxicating me further and bringing my high to an all-new level. 

I wanted this man so I was going to have him, and no one could stop me. 

Sliding my hands so my palms were pressing against the sheets just above his shoulders, my tongue darted out and licked a line across his chest. God, he even tasted just like I remembered. Eobard groaned softly beneath me, his hands coming up to latch onto my thighs as I continued to flick my tongue along his skin, occasionally biting down or grazing my teeth along smooth skin. 

It would be a game, how many marks could we make on each other before our bodies healed them and they disappeared. Naturally, with my desire for his skin, I wasn’t going to spend all my time torturing his chest with my mouth. No, there was a prize far greater than that waiting for me, and I could feel it beneath my rapidly dampening underwear. 

“I loath how much I crave you,” I softly growled as I pushed my hips down his legs. My hands followed suit, running over his shoulders and down his glorious muscles before reaching the waistline of his pants. Eobard’s own hands traveled up my sides, over my shoulders, and eventually sunk into my hair. Keeping my slate blue eyes connected with his electric blue ones, I gave his pants a vicious yank, dragging them, and his underwear down revealing that he wanted me just as much as I wanted him. “So, so much,” 

Without further thought, my mind wanting one thing only at the moment, I wrapped my right hand around his cock and gave it a brazen lick, enjoying the way Eobard’s breath quickened as he bit down on a moan. Tasting him with both my hand and mouth, a streak of naughtiness flickered through my mind in the form of payback. 

So with a blatant disregard for any repercussions that might ensue from my ministrations, I made my hand start vibrating while wrapping my lips around the tip and sucking. A sharp tug in my hair along with his twitching body told me exactly what I was doing to him, and I was loving every second of it. 

Pumping my vibrating hand up and down the base of his cock, I continued to suck and lick his head and tip like it was ice cream. Only this was far sweeter, what was that they said about revenge? It was a dish best served cold. I felt like a goddess knowing that I could reduce Eobard Thawne to a grunting, twitching mess beneath my mouth and hand. 

I could feel his muscles straining beneath my body as I feasted like a queen, fully taking him into my mouth and feeling just how much he was holding himself back through his soft grunts and rasping breaths. His fingers dug into my hair and scalp, pulling at the strands until pinprick pain traveled across my scalp. But still, I didn’t stop. 

I had to make Eobard Thawne come undone right in my hands, there would be no satisfaction like it. Between my vibrating fingers caressing and pumping his length, and my tongue licking and sucking, I knew just by his sounds that he wasn’t that far off. But rather than let me finish what I had started, Eobard had had enough of my torturous teasing. 

Ripping me from his gloriously twitching cock, Eobard reversed our positions, slamming my body back into the soft mattress. Blinking at the sudden change in position, I sucked in a deep breath when he loomed over my body, fingers tracing my hipbones while his eyes glittered dangerously down into mine. 

“You have no idea how infuriating it was to have to play along with being paralyzed when all I wanted to do was feel your writhing body underneath mine as I fucked you until you were a limp, babbling mess.” He growled in my face, his fingers finally reaching the elastic band of my underwear. 

“Oh you poor little boy, was that an attempt at a threat?” I purred, red electricity crackling across my skin as I smirked and made my eyes glow red. Eobard made his own eyes vibrate red in retaliation. 

“No, Gemma,” Eobard responded, using my second name for the first time as dark lust filled his red eyes. “That was a promise.” 

Shivering in delight and at the promise of domination for once, I couldn’t help but gasp out as he ripped my underwear from my body, and then let out a keen as he buried his face between my legs and started his own torture. One of my arms slammed out onto the bed next to me, my nails digging harshly into the sheets as I gasped and moaned. 

Reaching down with my free hand, I sank my fingers into his blond hair and tugged at the strands, not in wanting him to stop but in strain from holding myself back. Gasping while my hips twitched, I eventually could not resist the urge to push his head further down when his teasing started becoming more than just licks. 

Eobard latched onto my clit and started licking and sucking like a man on a mission. Yet another reason to have soundproof rooms, if not, I was sure everyone in the house would have heard my cries of pleasure. I wouldn’t have been able to look anyone in the eyes come tomorrow morning. 

Between the fingers, he slipped into my core, the vibrations that came with him using his speed as an advantage, and his tongue, I was reduced to a squirming mess. He was working me to the brink of it being painful, and every time I thought I couldn’t take one second longer, he backed off just slightly. 

I was a goddess at teasing, he was a master at retribution, equally matched and rivals in power. Neither content to fully give in to the other. Nearly crying in relief when his mouth finally gave me a reprieve to plant a string of kisses on my inner thighs, my brain started hyper-focusing on the fingers teasing my entrance. 

He would occasionally slip one into my body, swirling in a circle before leaving whining for more as he withdrew. It was maddening, and yet, I knew that this really was the ultimate payback for that year I had spent as the one in control. My hand that had been digging into the sheets slapped against my mouth as I bit down on my flesh, trying to mute my sounds of pleasure. 

“Don’t you dare try to stifle those beautiful sounds of yours, Gemma, I want to hear all of them,” Eobard murmured darkly against my skin, the hand on my hip squeezing tightly to make a point. That grip would leave bruises, I was sure of it, but his words sure had my hand sliding free from my teeth and joining my other in his wild hair. “You are mine, you will always be mine.”

I further twitched and writhed underneath him, my back arching off the sheets when my head started spinning and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. With a face flushed with pleasure, my thighs trembled as my orgasm hit me out of nowhere. Red lighting flickered through my veins while I cried out and curled my fingers into his blond hair. 

Gasping on my breaths, I reigned in control of my haywire powers as Eobard crawled back up with a triumphant smirk on his face. 

“Happy now?” His smirk deepened before his hand on my hip trailed upwards, carving a path across my skin and leaving behind a wanting for more. 

“Not even close.” Eobard purred before grabbing my cheek and pressing his lips back to mine. Any snarky comments that could have possibly come from my mouth were smothered by his mouth fervently moving against mine. Dragging my nails from his hair, I ran a hand down his neck to his shoulders, feeling just as territorial over this man and wanting to mark him.

Pulling at his blond hair, I dragged his head back, removing his lips from mine so I could lick a stripe up his neck and throat, reminding him that I wasn’t going to be a woman easily pushed into submission. He was going to have to work for it. 

The deep growl/groan that emitted from his throat was music to my ears and had my lips curving into a devious smile. That’s the sound I loved. My sweet satisfaction was short-lived because he released my face to grab the wrist of my hand tugging at his air, slamming it to the bed next to my head. Smirking up at him, I couldn’t help the small giggle that bubbled up from my throat at the irritated look in his eyes. 

He had obviously had enough of my teasing and taunting because his grip on my waist traveled to my right knee as he hoisted my leg up against his side. I could feel the heat from his skin and the second his cock brushed up and down my folds, I knew that I was in for some rough loving. One could only tease Eobard Thawne so far before he snapped. 

A drawn-out groan passed between my lips as Eobard pushed all the way in, not taking even one second to allow my body to gradually adjust to his size. My muscles burned slightly as I gasped for oxygen, my hand on his shoulder digging my nails in. Dragging my nails down his shoulder, I stared up at Eobard with my mouth partially hanging open while he set a pace like no other. 

He had no reason to hold back no, I wasn’t a breakable human anymore, and Eobard was going to show me exactly what it was like to truly be with him. Letting out a moan of pleasure, I pressed my head back into the sheets. Eobard, always turned on by the noises that came flowing from my mouth, tightened his grip on my wrist and slid his fingers up my leg until his fingers sunk into my ass.

Pulling his chest down to mine, I sighed out when his mouth descended on the skin of my neck and started to suck and bite. It was euphoric and intoxicating to once again feel the sensations of the man I had thought was Harrison Wells. While his mouth worked marks along my pristine skin, his grip turned vicious as my hips tried to rise to meet with his thrusts. 

“Eobard,” I whined as he pressed his body down, securing mine underneath him so I couldn’t move. A low growl from him told me that he wanted total control, and wouldn’t be above using bruising force to hold me still. Well, I was pretty sure I was going to have bruises on my body already. “God you are so mean,” 

A noise of approval came from his throat as he dragged his teeth from my neck, keeping up with his hard thrusts. Eobard pressed several open-mouthed kisses along my neck, his tongue sweeping across my skin as he went higher and higher until he reached my mouth. 

“You never complained when I tied you up,” He whispered against my burning lips. “Perhaps I should borrow a pair of meta cuffs…” 

My eyes flashed that burning red color as I bared my teeth at him with a slight snarl. No one and I mean no one would ever make me feel weak or put me in a compromising position ever again. He let out a dark chuckle.

“Be a good girl for me and I won’t have to fight dirty,” He purred before diving back down, biting and tugging at my lip until I opened my mouth to him. Eobard rutted into my body, over and over, making me gasp and pant against his unrelenting kisses and hold. 

Every nerve in my body was firing in burning hot energy, buzzing to life after being dormant for five years. It was nearly overwhelming after having gone so long without being intimate, I had almost forgotten just how good this man could make me feel, how he could turn me into such a mess my mind went blank.

My nails continued to rake along his shoulder blade, even more, when I started to tremble beneath his hard body. I was getting close to a miracle second orgasm, my other leg automatically joining my right own in wrapping around his waist. 

Our mouths finally disconnected, giving me a chance to suck in some much-needed air while I panted heavily and softly moaned out his name. His face buried into my shoulder, making his blond hair tickle my neck while the speed demon increased his pace to the point where I knew he was using his speed. 

Crying out as pleasure like nothing I had felt before rocketed through my body, my heels dug into his back. My inner muscles started to threaten to clench together in tightness, warning me just how near I was to total bliss and what would probably be the strongest orgasm I had ever had. 

“You will always be mine, Gemma, always,” Eobard grunted against my shoulder. What little control over my electrokinesis disappeared and my red lightning started flickering across my skin. Writhing beneath him once more, my wrist strained against his hold, begging to be released so I had one more hand to claw at this back. 

Just when I thought he couldn’t be even more torturous, his entire body started vibrating against mine, making every inch of my skin prickle in pleasure, both inside and out. A loud cry came from my lips as my back arched off the bed, pressing into his chest while my muscles clamped down around his cock. It felt like the very breath in my chest had been sucked out, and I could faintly hear, and feel, Eobard’s own orgasm completely filling me with warmth. 

Shuddering beneath him, I panted and wheezed for breath, amazed that someone with powers like me could feel human for once. Eobard’s grip on my body lightened up until he was hovering over me, a hand lightly taking my cheek so I was looking into his eyes. My dazed eyes met his, slightly damp as deep rotted feelings started bubbling to the surface. I didn’t want to lose him again, even after everything he had caused, I just couldn’t. 

“You’re crying again,” He said gently, his fingers brushing tears from my eyelashes. I reached up and brushed at my other eye, sniffing.

“I don’t think I can take losing you again, it nearly killed me the first time,” I answered him with a wobbly lip. “I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done, I still love you and it hurts.” 

Eobard leaned down and touched his forehead to mine. 

“I promise you, Gemma, I won’t ever willingly leave you,” With that promise, he flashed us both under the covers and tucked me against his side. The chaos of the fight still littered the room, but at the moment all I wanted was to just lay in the arms of the man I loved. It had to have been a good ten minutes of Eobard just brushing his fingers along my shoulder before he spoke up again. “I’m sorry you had to raise our son alone.”

“I wasn’t completely alone,” I quietly responded, tracing circles on his chest with my fingers. “I had plenty of help, and becoming a meta also helped to keep up with him. It wasn’t as nearly as bad as you might think.” 

“Are you going to let me get to know him?” My eyebrow rose as I tilted my head back to look up into his eyes. 

“He is your son, Eobard, just as much as he is mine, and I will not hold that right from you,” I spoke. “Besides, I think he could use someone like you around in his life, he takes after you in the intelligence department and I can only teach him so much.” 

His eyes sparkled down at me before he was hugging me tighter, pressing his lips to the crown of my hair. 

“Thank you for giving me a chance, Gemma, and thank you for giving me a son.” 

“You still have to make up for all the diapers I had to change though…” His groan had a grin stretching across my lips as I snuggled further into his chest. Life was still pretty messed up, but at least Thad could finally meet his father.


	16. What Took You So Long? (Malcolm Merlyn)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **What Took You So Long?:** Liberty Snart is the youngest of all the Snart children, and has chosen to live a crime free life. When the Legends of Tomorrow stop by in a desperate bid to convince her to help them stop Leonard, their plan backfires when Leonard himself decides that baby his sister is best in his hands. Unfortunately for Leonard, he doesn’t anticipate one of his teammates taking more than just a liking to Libby, and for her to feel the same.   
> **Warnings:** Language, Mature Themes 18+ only please, practice safe sex kids (wrap it up)  
>  **To Note:** Malcolm Merlyn x OC, italics are flashbacks

_“I’m sorry, what?” I asked, my arms crossed over my chest as I stared at the man who had basically marched up to my apartment door, knocked, and then said he needed my help because my brother was up to no good again and I might be the only one able to talk some sense into him._

_“We really need your help.” The man wearing the long coat said with pleading eyes. “Lives depend on it.”_

_“I haven’t seen or heard from Leonard in years, why don’t you try Lisa, she’s closer to him.” I replied before moving to shut the door._

_“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,” The man said, stopping me from fully closing the door with his foot and hand. “I implore you, please, at least try.”_

_I hesitated, I hadn’t seen Leonard in at least twenty years, and knowing him, and from watching tv, I knew he got into things he shouldn’t. So did Lisa. But if there was a slim chance that Leonard would listen to me, I suppose I should try._

_“Fine, where is he?”_

*****

That had been eleven weeks ago, I had gone with the man, who I learned his name was Rip Hunter, and had basically been introduced to the ship the Waverider, and the Legends of Tomorrow. 

Needless to say, Rip’s plan hadn’t gone at all like expected, as soon as I showed my face to Leonard, he got mad, real mad. One moment I was watching him spit and yell at Rip for involving me and the next, there was a flash of red and I was standing in a cell like room, the door locked. 

I had basically spent an hour patiently sitting on the lone bed while I waited for something to happen. When the sounds of the door being unlocked hit my ears, I got to my feet and stared at the door as Leonard opened it. 

What proceeded was a shouting match between us over why I had been with the goodie two shoe assholes and why he was still up to no good. Apparently we had been loud enough one of his teammates, the blonde one in the yellow suit, had come to check in on us and asked if we were dating. We both rounded on him and snapped that we were brother and sister. 

So now I basically lived with the four men since Leonard didn’t want the good guys to get their hands on me, and possibly use me as a way to control him. I had gone from a simple life with a job I liked to one where I lived with four villains, one of which I angrily found attractive.

Said attractive man wasn’t making things easy for me either since he had a habit of practicing archery with his bow shirtless. Drool worthy I tell you, drool worthy. As a dance fitness instructor, I had seen plenty of shirtless men, but Malcolm Merlyn certainly took first place out of all of them. 

Along with a physique that most men would kill for, Malcolm had a beautiful smile and pretty blue eyes that I was sure most woman fell in love with on first eye contact, I know I sure did. Out of the three men, I suppose I got along with Malcolm the best, Damien was a close second I found his magic fascinating, but Eobard, well we butt heads the most. 

So now while the Legion of Doom went about their business, I pretty much hung around their lair, making sure to keep up with my dance and ballet regiment. I mean I had to go home eventually… right? I just hoped that I still had a job when I got back.

Currently I was dressed in a sports bra and yoga pants, my black hair thrown up into a bun as I ran my body through several challenging yoga poses that contorted my body in ways most people would think unnatural. As of late, I had been working on strengthening my core muscles even more.

With my muscles burning from extended use, I slowly widened my legs from where they had been held out in the Firefly pose to hold them out like I was doing a split. Sweat ran down my face as my arms started to tremble from holding up my entire weight. To distract myself, I focused on the sound of arrows being drawn back and fired at a target. 

_Thwap. Thwap. Thwap._

I counted to thirty before slowly lowering my body back to the floor of the gym, as soon as my legs touched the mat, I pulled them in and got to my feet, pushing the sweaty hair that had slipped out of my bun, out of my face. 

Malcolm in all his glory, was firing arrows at one of the targets on the far wall at a solid pace. Shirtless of course, he had his black quiver strapped to his chest and was plucking arrows from the quiver and firing them without ever removing his eyes from the target. 

I could see the muscles in his back flex and move with every draw and release, and couldn’t help but pine over the fact that Malcolm Merlyn looked even hotter sweaty, and all I wanted to do at this moment was run my hands over his muscles, or lick them… God, I was hopeless. 

“Appreciating the view?” Malcolm’s words drew me out of my inner thoughts. He had voiced his question without breaking his concentration on firing the arrows. 

“More like wondering how long it took you to get this good.” I spoke up, glad that I _had_ been curious and I could use this as a plausible excuse to why I was blatantly ogling him. “Because with the way you move looks like it took years.” 

“Mhh, try decades,” He responded before lowing his bow and turning his head to look at me. “Want to give it a try?” 

I snorted softly and crossed my arms at him, raising one of my black eyebrows. 

“I don’t know the first thing about using a bow, Malcolm.” I said dryly, my lips twitching slightly. His own curved into a partial smirk as he pointed his bow at me. 

“That is why I am going to teach you, get over here Lib.” I eyed him for a few second more before sighing and slowly walking over. 

“You better not make me regret this.” I grumbled underneath my breath as I approached him. He turned to the table he kept next him that had an assortment of archery paraphernalia and grabbed a few things. 

The first thing he did was put arm braces around my forearms, mentioning that the bowstring can hit the skin and cause welts, and that it would be a pity if my pretty skin was ruined. Following him over to where he had been standing, Malcolm positioned me in front of an arrowless target. 

“You know the first rule about archery?” He asked as he held out his bow. I stared at the bow before hesitantly taking it, feeling the weight in my hands. 

“Don’t shoot yourself or your instructor?” I playfully offered since I was completely clueless. Malcolm smirked at my words before pulling out an arrow from the quiver on his back. 

“Don’t point your arrow at someone unless you are prepared to deal with the consequences of releasing it.” My eyebrow rose back up. 

“Is that your way of warning me not to shoot you?” I asked, my lips curving into a half smile. “Because I wasn’t lying when I said that I don’t know how to use a bow…” 

“Trust me when I say you are the least threatening person I have met, Libby.” Malcolm said frankly before handing me the arrow and nodding his head at my hands. “Start by nocking the arrow.” 

“Really?” I protested as I looked down at the bow and did as he asked, fixing the arrow against the bowstring. “You do realize I work out for a living, don’t you? How am I not threatening!?” 

“That doesn’t change my statement. You’re as vicious as a bunny, the most damage you’d do is biting.” He returned with a flash of white teeth. “What is it you do exactly?”

“I teach mostly dance fitness, sometimes advance yoga.” He cocked his head to the side, a sly smile slowly spreading across his face. 

“Does that include exotic?” I fought through the burning blush that wanted to creep up my face and turn my cheeks scarlet. I did in fact teach exotic dancing occasionally, it was great for the core, boosted my and my students confidence, and an excellent workout… and something he absolutely didn’t need to know.

“I’m not answering that question, Merlyn.” I stated, turning my eyes to the target in front of me. “What do I do next?” 

“Draw the string back, and don’t draw with just your shoulder, use your back muscles too otherwise you’ll hurt yourself.” He replied, his hand running over my bare shoulder to indicate which muscles he was referring to. I had to resist a moan and a shiver just from his touch. 

“Careful, I might start to think that you care.” I coolly shot back as I slowly pulled the string back and raised the arrow to face the target. It wasn’t too hard to pull it back since I had strong back and arm muscles, but I could feel the tension in them. 

“Harsh words, Libby, harsh words.” Malcolm answered before stepped forwards and moving so his body was flush against mine. His hands landed on my hips as he adjusted the way I stood ever so slightly before placing his hands on mine and adjusted the way I had the bow raised and the way I gripped it. 

“I am a Snart you know, in case you’ve forgotten.” I retorted as I tried not to think about the toned body pressed up against my back, or the fact that I was only wearing a sports bra which meant I could feel his glorious, sweat soaked skin against mine. “It’s what we’re known for.”

He was just as hot as I was from working out, and I wanted to relish in the feeling of skin on skin after being single for so long. Maybe I was simply touch starved, I could roll with that rather than just having the hots for my brother’s teammate. 

Once I was in what I assumed was the proper position, I looked to my left at his face which hovered close to mine. I could feel the heat radiating from his lips and even the air he exhaled. Less than two inches, that’s all that separated our lips.

And I really needed to stop thinking about said lips because that is really not helping my case at the moment. 

“Okay, now what?” I asked him, blinking up at him and trying to keep my face neutral and my horny thoughts tucked far, far away. His eyes met mine. 

“It helps to look at the target.” I gave him the famous Snart eye roll before looking back at the target. The hand on mine which held the end of the arrow slipped so his fingers covered mine as the hand on my wrist holding the bow itself did the same. “Now I want you to focus on your breathing.”

Doing as he asked, I focused on the inhale and exhale of air from my lungs, something that I had my own students practice while in my yoga classes. 

“And when your ready release the arrow.” Malcolm said, his lips brushing against my ear. That made my heart jump slightly and I had to start all over with my breathing. Quickly getting it under control, I stared at the target before letting out a slow breath and releasing the tail of the arrow, allowing the feathered end to slip through my fingers. 

The arrow whistled through the air for only a second before slamming into the target and staying lodged there. Malcolm, much to my dismay, withdrew his hands and body from mine as I lowered the bow and stared at the arrow. 

“Not bad, most people can’t even draw the string back.” Malcolm commented as I stared at the arrow. I huffed at him before pushing the bow to his chest and heading for the target. The perfectionist in me wanted to know just how far I was from the center. Pulling off the arm braces and the glove as I walked, I set them on a nearby table before stopping in front of the arrow. 

It was lodged in one of the outer rings of the target, so I had managed to hit the target, just nowhere near the center. I could live with that, I had never used a bow before and its not like I expected to be perfect at archery right away. 

Wait, were my thoughts really directing myself to think that I would try archery again, or that I expected Malcolm to continue teaching me. This was most definitely a one time thing. It had to be because there was now way I could make it through an entire lesson with his hands on me without jumping his bones. 

God I really needed to stop thinking about situations like that… I believe a cold shower is in my not so distant future.

Reaching up, I brushed my fingers against the feathers on the very end of the arrow. There was something beautiful about the mechanics of archery, not to mention the way the muscles were moved, it was simply raw power and precision. That took time, practice, countless hours, and a will to succeed.

Pulling the arrow free of the target, I held it in front of me with both hands and looked at the tip of the sharp point. 

“Give me a month and I’ll have you shooting like a professional.” Malcolm’s voice echoed behind me while I snorted softly, my eyes lifting to look at the target. 

“Bold of you to assume I’ll be around that long, or I even want to learn.” I responded coyly, in truth, I really didn’t know how long I’d be around. “Besides, Leonard would be pissed, you know how bitchy he gets when I spend more than ten seconds near one of you boys.” 

“Sweetheart, all you’ve been doing since you got here is give him the cold shoulder and purposefully pissing him off.” Malcolm responded with a snicker. I let out a puff of air in laughter before cocking my head to the side and dropping my chin slightly as if I was going to look over my shoulder. 

“Malcolm, why are you doing this?” I asked softly, dropping my eyes to the arrow in my hands. “I am literally no one. The only reason why I am here is because Leonard suddenly decided to play big brother. You have no reason to be remotely nice to me.” 

I waited for him to respond, my fingers curling around the shaft of the arrow tightly. I heard foot steps and went turn to face him, but found a hand pushing on my right shoulder, sending me stumbling backwards.

Letting out a startled gasp as my back slammed into the wall, the hand that had pushed my shoulder around slipped to the back of my neck and buried itself in my bun. In one motion, my head was pulled back and the lips I had been dreaming about for over two months descended on mine. 

The arrow I had shot and had been twisting in my fingers slipped from my hand and clattered to the ground as surprise and shock took over my thoughts. It had been a long time since I had kissed someone, even longer since someone kissed me like this, if ever. 

My eyes fluttered shut as I got lost in the feeling of his lips against mine. Soft, warm, as heavenly as I guiltily dreamed about and oh so perfect. 

The sudden and seemingly in the moment kiss only lasted for a few short seconds before Malcolm released my bun and took a step back. I stared at him with wide eyes and my mouth open in wordless shock. 

“I’ve been wanting to do that for weeks, Libby, and you holding my bow while you make that little facial expression when you’re determined? Incredibly hot.” Malcolm voiced as my brain finally caught up to the moment. “You ask why I bother being nice and giving you my time? I like you, I have since the first time you slammed your door in Leonard’s face after he tried to get you to talk to him like the little fire cracker you are.”

He… liked me? So I wasn’t the only one who was harboring what felt like forbidden feelings? I blinked at him before my hands darted up and grabbed the strap stretching across his chest that held his quiver on his back. In one swift yank, I pulled him back towards me. 

His hands slammed onto the wall on either side of me as I lifted my chin and raised myself on my toes so our lips met once more. It didn’t take him long to figure out that I had zero problems with him kissing me. 

Wasting no time, his tongue swiped across my lip, begging for entrance. Letting him in, I released my grip on the strap of his quiver to press my palms and fingertips against the taut skin of his chest to indulge in the daydream I had fantasized about for weeks. 

Each muscle underneath my finger tips felt hard and well built from hours spent in front of a target, shooting arrows one after another. Sliding my fingers up his chest, I wrapped one around his neck and pressed the other against his shoulder as I raised myself on my very tippy toes to keep my lips locked with the sinfully delicious ones pressed against mine. 

Older brother be damned, I wanted Malcolm Merlyn to ruin me, and from the way he was kissing me back, he had absolutely zero problems doing so. With our faces pretty much mashed together and not planning on separating any time soon, and my neck not exactly in a very comfortable position seeing as he is half a foot taller than I am, Malcolm removed his hands from the wall and wrapped them around the back of my thighs. 

In one smooth movement, I was lifted off the floor of the gym and the sharp angle between our lips all but disappeared. Wrapping my legs around Malcolm’s waist and locking my ankles together, I moved my hands to grasp his face and pull him even closer, if that was possible at this point. I pretty much had my body pressed flush against his. 

With his fingers digging into my thighs, Malcolm all but sandwiched me between his body and the wall as our mouths continued to move against each other in an urgent need to release all the pent up tension we had both had been feeling.

I could have spent hours pressed up against this wall, kissing Malcolm, feeling his lips against mine, moaning as the fingers on my thighs traveled to my behind. He was intoxicating, and I couldn’t get enough. 

Letting out a panting groan, I slipped one of my hands back into his hair and dug my fingernails into his scalp. His hands, which where digging into the tender flesh of my behind, dug in and massaged their way through my yoga pants, making a spike of heat ripple up through the core of my body, leaving me a moaning mess against his lips and in his hold. 

We definitely would have continued our heavy, lust filled make out session if someone hadn’t let out an obvious cough. 

My face blushed a brilliant scarlet as Malcolm and I separated. Malcolm took one look at my face before raising an eyebrow and smirking, then he turned his head to address Damien who had apparently walked in on us trying to suck each others faces. 

“Do you need something Darhk?” Malcolm asked in a cool tone, acting like we hadn’t just jumped each other and started a very heavy make out session. 

“Oh no, just warning you that Mr. Snart is back from his… shopping trip, and I highly doubt he would appreciate you making out with his baby sister while groping her behind, even if she seems to enjoy it.” Damien eloquently drawled.

“Oh my God,” I squeaked out, my face going completely blood red as I thumped my forehead into the space where Malcolm’s shoulder met neck, hiding the intense blush that was painting my usually pale skin. Malcolm chuckled before tightening his grip and responding. 

“And you’re warning us why?” Damien let out a dignified snort. 

“I happen to enjoy Miss Snart’s company, and would rather her not get locked in a room for a week or two because you two finally decided to stop eye fucking each other.” Damien replied crassly before I heard his footfalls recede. I waited a full minute before speaking again. 

“Well that was completely mortifying.” I whispered, still hiding my face against his toned, hot skin. I felt him laugh and felt the vibrations against my forehead. 

“As much as I hate to say it, Darhk is right, your brother would probably lock you up if we continue.” Malcolm returned, still chuckling a little as he brushed his lips against my ear. 

“I can kiss who I damn well please, thank you very much.” I grumbled, huffing slightly. I mean I was a groan ass woman who was fully capable of making her own decisions. “But you should probably let me down, Leonard would one hundred percent do that.” 

Unhooking my ankles, I let my feet drop from his waist and land on the floor. Detaching my hand from his hair, I lowered my arms while he still kept his grip on my behind, but his fingers gently resting against the fabric of my yoga pants rather than digging into the soft flesh. 

Taking a slow, deep breath, I looked up into Malcolm’s eyes to see them still full of lust as they stared down at me. 

“What?” 

“You’re going to get me all worked up in those pants of yours, twisting your body around, and then not pay up?” He asked, raising his dark eyebrows. I reached up and ran my fingers over the strap going across his chest while my lips curved into a soft smile. 

“I never said we couldn’t continue, I just said we couldn’t do it here, where Leonard could walk in and lose his shit.” I responded coyly, my fingers playing with the buckle. “Besides, you’re the one who practices shirtless, do you know how many times I’ve caught myself almost drooling?” 

“My room, one hour, don’t be late.” Malcolm said before bending down and pressing a scorching, tongue filled kiss to my lips. Most definitely an insight on what was to surely come. Breaking apart, my slightly swollen lips curved into a half smirk as I turned and started heading for my towel and water bottle. 

“Only if you have a way to prevent little archers from running around.” I tossed over my shoulder. Adding a slight sway to my hips, I internally giggled to myself knowing that he was most definitely staring at my ass as I walked away. Bending down, I grabbed my towel and water bottle before turning on my heel and making a beeline for the exit Damien had disappeared in. 

My eyes flickered to the left just briefly to look at Malcolm one last time before I left. He was leaning against the wall I had been pressed against, arms crossed against that sinful chest, his eyes were watching my every movement, and his pants, well they were a little tighter than normal. Oh I was definitely going to pay for that little teasing show later, and I couldn’t wait. 

Walking into the kitchen I saw Leonard at the dining table, his latest conquest spread out on the table while he inspected some treasure in his hand. 

“I see you’ve been hard at work.” I commented right before chugging the last bit of water from my bottle. 

“Hmm, gotta keep the pockets full, Lib.” Leonard replied before eyeing me over the sparkling trinket. “I see you’ve been working out.” 

“Well, since someone refuses to let me go home and get back to work, I need to keep myself in shape, it is how I pay my bills you know.” I shot back before turning to the sink and filling my water bottle once more. 

“Well at least you have a job that’s good for you,” I snorted, turning off the water and turning around as I screwed the lid on my water bottle once more. 

“I had a job, Leonard, not so sure I have one anymore seeing as I’ve been gone for eleven weeks.” I quipped, making him glance up from his hands and eye me. 

“I already told you why you are here, Libby,” Leonard said while giving me a pointed look. “I don’t want you hanging out with those assholes.” 

“I’m an adult, I can made my own decisions.” 

“Like your decision to date what’s his name in high school?” Leonard asked, returning his eyes to the trinket in his hands and raising his eyebrow. “Colin was it? Real great decision Lib, real great.”

“Like you haven’t had your fair share of mistakes.” I threw back before shaking my head and sighing. “You know what, I am not going to argue with you, everyone knows it never did any good with you.” 

“What?” Leonard asked, making a scrunched up face as I pushed away from the counter top and started walking away. “What is that supposed to mean?”

I didn’t responded, choosing to walk away in silence. 

“Libby! Hey! What is that supposed to mean!? Liberty!” Still feeling bold from the high of making out with Malcolm, I raised my left hand and gave him the one finger salute. Just as I left the kitchen, I heard Damien’s soft laughter. 

Walking through the compound, I headed for the room that had become mine to kill the fifty three minutes I had left until I was supposed to meet with Malcolm in his room. Well I could kill time just like I had been these last few weeks. Reading. 

*****

“Shit, shit, shit, _shit_ ,” I breathed out as I scrambled around my room, trying to figure out what to wear. I had gotten so wrapped up in my reading I had given myself only two minutes to get ready. Now considering the fact that I hadn’t ever done something like this before, I was at a complete loss. 

Did I shower, put make up on, change out of my sweaty sports bra and yoga pants, do I go all out and wear a pair of sexy heels? Do I change into my sexiest pair of lingerie… which I don’t have in the first place so that was a no go but you get my drift…

I knew how to control my body in sexual ways, just not dress myself in such a way. 

“Oh fuck it,” I breathed out, realizing that even if I was supposed to do something like that, I’d have no time. So instead, I turned on my bare heel and booked it out of my room with a minute to go. Sprinting through the compound, I weaved through the halls passing Damien as I went. “I am going to be late!” I yelled as I whipped by him.

“Glad to know you care about being punctual, Miss Snart.” He called after me, not raising his head from the book, most likely a grimoire, he had been reading. Sliding around a corner, I was met with the hall that Malcolm’s room could be found. 

With my feet scurrying across the cold floor, I dashed down the hall and skidded to a stop right in front of Malcolm’s door. Flushed pink from my sprint and slightly out of breath. It must have been exactly eleven twenty three because the door opened revealing Malcolm in all his glory. Of course he now had a shirt on and had changed into a comfortable pair of sweatpants, the compound did run on the cool side. 

“I’m not late,” I blurted out instinctually, pointing out the fact that I was in fact, not late. Malcolm’s dark eyebrow shot up as his lips twisted into a smirk before his hand darted forwards and closed around my wrist. 

I was yanked forwards, my feet stumbling across the threshold before I found my body being spun in a dizzying circle. The door slammed shut behind me and I soon found my shoulder blades and back being roughly shoved against it as Malcolm’s lips hungrily descended on mine. 

The gasp that escaped my lips was smothered by the scorching kiss while strong hands captured my wrists and pinned them against the dark wood of the door. While his lips assaulted mine in the most delicious way, trying to win the game of dominance, his body pressed mine flush against the door, pressing every inch of muscle and sinew against mine. 

A very apparent erection pressed up against my belly, making a muffled moan leave my sensitive lips as a fresh wave of intense arousal surged like a tidal wave throughout my veins. Wasting no time, Malcolm took this as a chance to slip his tongue in and caress mine which only made a heavy, lust filled sigh leave my smothered mouth. 

The hand holding my right wrist against the heavy door released its iron grip and within seconds hot fingers were sliding up the chilled skin of my wrist, lightly passing over my throbbing pulse before placing themselves on top of my cold ones holding my hand in place gently this time.

My body shuddered with pleasure as his mouth continued to work magic against mine. Nipping, tugging, tongue flicking across my lips shortly before teeth lightly bit at my lower lip, all new sensations that made my head fuzzy and my knees grow weak. 

My knees buckled slightly, and with lightening fast reflexes, Malcolm dropped my right wrist to snake his arm around my back to stop my body from completely going down. I felt his mouth morph into a smirk before he pulled away. 

“I am I making your knees weak, Libby?” He purred out, his eyes sparkling down at me. With my chest heaving slightly, I returned his look with a half smirk of my own. 

“All the damn time,” I breathed out before reaching up with my now free hand and digging my fingers into his hair to yank his head back down to mine. His mouth crashed back against mine as I nipped at his lower lip, tugging at it with my teeth. 

The fingers on my hip dug into my skin as he pulled me closer, thrusting his erection further against my hips. Groaning as the friction caused hot tingling sensation ran up my body, I twisted my body as the feeling spread throughout my body like wildfire.

Burning inferno turned my blood to liquid molten, causing a surge of intense arousal and need to flow to every nook and cranny of my body. Malcolm’s lips migrated from mine to press hot open mouthed kisses against my jaw, slowly working towards my neck. 

“Oh God,” I said breathlessly, my fingernails digging into his scalp as his tongue swiped over sensitive skin, eliciting a new flurry of sensations I wanted to sigh and melt from. Leaning my head back and thumping it against the door, my eyelids fluttered shut as I panted for air. “You seriously better have condoms, Malcolm.”

“I plan on fucking you, not your life.” Malcolm responded before he sucked a particularly sensitive part of my neck, making me push his head further into my neck as I bit back a shaky moan. 

High on his kisses, I hooked an ankle around his leg and further pulled my body against his, needing the friction of his body against mine. Teeth nipped at the skin against my neck before biting down ever so briefly. I barely felt the small sting of pain, my mind instantly taken with the way Malcolm was brushing his tongue against the sting of bite mark. 

This was exactly what I wanted in my dreams, to see what it was like to kiss Malcolm Merlyn, learn what his hands felt like on my body. There was just one problem, this was going way to slow for me. A sigh of discontent left my lips as I tugged on Malcolm’s black hair, with one last scrape of his teeth, Malcolm lifted his head to look at me with a raised eyebrow. 

“Yes dear?” Huffing at him, I narrowed my eyes and dislodged my fingers from his hair, instead, choosing to gently grasp the side of his face. 

“Malcolm honey, I didn’t come here so we could make out like a pair of horny teenagers,” I chided him, my lips curving to the side. His own lips twitched in reply. 

“Ooh, fiesty,” Malcolm drawled out with his signature smirk. “Someone’s feeling demanding tonight.” 

My hand left the side of his face to fist the front of his shirt as I pulled him so our lips were only centimeters apart. 

“Only when I know exactly what I want.” I purred as I slipped my wrist from his grip and proceeded to climb up on him, wrapping my legs around his torso and my arms around his neck. Malcolm’s hands went to my thighs, and slid across my yoga pants to grip my ass. 

Our mouths connected once more as he spun around and started carrying me further into his darkened room. My fingers played with the dark hair at the nape of his neck as Malcolm in return dug his fingers further into my flesh.

Slipping my fingers from his hair, I laid my hands on his back and glided my fingers over his muscles. I was so close, but not close enough. 

“Shirt. Off. Now.” I mumbled in between sloppy kisses, my fingers grabbing onto the material and tugging at it. His hands left my ass and I was instantly yanking his shirt up, pulling it over his head and ruffling his already slightly messy hair. 

With his shirt off his body and in my hands, I let it slip through my fingers while continuing to grip his waist with my legs. My eyes scanned up and down, my lips curving as I placed my palms on his chest.

Malcolm brushed his fingers along my thighs, heading for the tight waistband at my hips. Smirking, I flickered my eyes up to his as I ran my right pointer finger over his pectoralis major. Loosening my grip on his waist, I let myself fall backwards and bounce slightly on his bed. 

Malcolm followed with me, leaning over me while his fingers hooked the edges of my yoga pants. With our eyes connected, Malcolm started to pull on the waistband, lifting my hips so the yoga pants could slid out from under me, Malcolm’s eyebrow rose as my underwear, or should I say thong, was revealed. 

“Surprised?” I questioned, flicking my tongue out to wet my lower lip. Malcolm cocked his head to the side, a smirk once again on his lips. 

“Lines?” He questioned as he pulled the yoga pants free from my legs. I leaned back on my palms, giving him a hint of a smile. 

“Can’t have lines if you want your ass to look good in yoga pants.” I said before raising my head so my lips were close to his. I dropped my voice to a sensuous whisper. “Especially when I’m working the pole room.” 

“God you get hotter by the second,” Malcolm groaned as he grabbed my left leg and started running his nose and lips up my smooth skin, kneading my calf muscles with his fingers. Leaning my head back, I closed my eyes and softly sighed as his delicate touch continued upwards, reaching my thighs. 

Hot, open mouthed kissed were pressed to the inside of my thighs, his mouth sucking on the skin with every tingling kiss. While his mouth worked wonders on my inner thigh, I reached up and crossed my arms, hooking my thumbs under the elastic band of my sports bra. 

With a wiggle of my hips, I pulled my sports bra up and over my head, leaving me clad only in my black thong. Throwing my sports bra to the side, my eyes caught Malcolm’s, which were now staring up at my bare chest, a hungry look in his eyes. 

“Like what you see?” I questioned, a big smirk on my lips. “Because good boys get to look.”

“Indeed I do,” Malcolm replied, running his nose up my stomach until he came to a stop over my chest, his arms caging me in. “But I’m a bad boy, so what does that get me Miss Snart?”

Reaching up, I cupped his face while looking up at him beneath my eyelashes. With a devious smile on my lips, I leaned up and brushed my lips against his.

“Bad boys get to touch.” I whispered with a curvy smile, my eyes sparkling. He was on me faster than my brain initially registered. His hands ripped mine from his face to press my wrist against the soft sheets while his face dived for my chest.

The instant his mouth closed on my nipple my back was arching off the bed, thrusting my chest further into his face. A wanton moan tumbled out of my mouth as I twisted in his grip, his mouth swirling around my nipple in a sinfully delicious way. 

The man had a way with his mouth and it stole the oxygen from my lungs. The sounds he had me making were borderline pornographic as he made my body writhe underneath his mouth. Chest heaving, red marks speckled my neck, upper chest, and breast from where he had nipped, sucked, and bit down, staking his claim.

And when he started to thrust his pelvis against mine, I melted into a moaning, panting mess, my entire body quivering with arousal and need. Groaning as my legs twisted about I shifted my hips, my thong now damp with arousal and feeling uncomfortably wet against my skin. 

“Malcolm, for the love of God, stop tormenting me.” I panted out as my knees pinched together and my thighs rubbed together. Malcolm bit down on the section of skin he had been sucking on before raising his head to meet my pleading eyes. “Do something!”

“Needy little thing you’ve become,” He mused before bending down and brushing his lips against mine. “All good things come in time, sweetheart, and I plan on worshipping every inch of this lovely body of yours.” 

A shiver ran through my body at that promise, because I knew that was one promise he would keep. With a dangerous glint in his eyes, Malcolm released his tight grip on my wrists as he stared down at me. 

“You keep those hands right there, sweetheart.” Malcolm said, an edge in his voice and his eyes dark with lust and warning. A shaky sigh left my lips as I twisted my wrists and dug my fingers into the sheets beneath me. “Good girl,” 

I made a face at him for calling me that which he only chuckled at before bending down to nip at my lips. Trying to keep my hands above my head, my neck strained upwards as I tried to keep the connection between our mouths. 

Naturally the man wasn’t just going to spend his entire time kissing me and pulled away, he planted his lips down my chin, and then my neck, slowly moving further and further away. Letting out a small whine at the lack of lips on mine, I couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t fair that his mouth couldn’t be in two places at once. 

Malcolm’s mouth meandered down my neck, kissing and lightly sucking different spots until he reached that one area on my neck that made my eyes roll back and my back arch of the silken sheets. Clenching the fabric underneath my twisted palms, I let out a moan, wanting nothing more than to dig my fingers into his messy black hair. 

Squirming underneath his onslaught, I felt his mouth drag down my neck to my clavicle. His tongue traced the protruding bone as the hands which previously trapped my wrists, landed on my hips in a tight hold to stop me from wiggling around.

“Malcolm!” I whined, not liking not being able to rub my thighs together while he took his precious sweet time.

“Patience, sweetheart,” Malcolm drawled out, running his mouth across the marks he had already made on my chest. “All good things come in time.”

Biting down on my lip, I stifled the moan that bubbled up from my throat as his hot mouth carved a path over my breasts and started planting kisses on my stomach. I pressed my head back into the sheets, focusing my mind on not moving my hands from where they lay, clutching the sheets in a death grip. 

With quivering lips, I stared up at the ceiling as Malcolm’s conquest to torture me as much as possible before reaching his intended destination continued. I don’t know how much time passed, it was probably less than thirty seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. 

“Have I ever told you how much I love the way you smell?” Malcolm asked, his voice husky as the hands that had previously been holding my hips down went to the thin straps of my thong. His fingers started pulling on it, and as he did so, I felt him place his mouth on the inside of my thigh and start to suck the skin as my thong was pulled free from my legs. 

Groaning at the fact that he was so close, yet so far, my hips twisted just a fraction of an inch before his hands were on them again, pushing down with bruising force. 

“Ah, ah, ah,” He tutted, his lips brushing against the aching spot he had been working on. “I’m in control right now, and trust me, you’ll enjoy this far more than if you hurry things along.”

“Well, you’re being a controlling, teasing, bastard right now.” I huffed at him, glaring at the ceiling. “I think waiting eleven weeks is long en—“ I cut myself off as Malcolm buried his head between my thighs and latched onto my clit with his mouth, swiping his tongue across it while he was at it. 

Jerking underneath his tight hold, a sharp cry emitted from my mouth as my back arched and every single nerve erupted with need underneath his mouth. Malcolm’s fingers dug into my hips to hold my writhing body still as he gave me a tongue lashing like no other man had every given before him… not that I had that many partners to begin with, but still. The man was a god with his mouth. 

It takes every ounce of control I have not to reach down and bury my fingers into his hair, to tug at his dark locks, to push his head further into my rapidly throbbing core. I knew full well that Malcolm Merlyn was a man of his word, and if I so much as moved my hands an inch, he’d probably stop with the foreplay, or maybe spank me…

Spanking I could deal with, but having him stop his endeavor to explore and ravish every inch of my skin? Yeah, no. I didn’t wait this long to have my sexual fantasies come crashing down. So I fisted the sheets in my hands, surely leaving crescents in my palms, bit down on my lip hard, gasped for air as the sensations he elicited from my body made me breathless, and just overall tried my best to not full on sob from the pleasure.

My heart started picking up speed in my chest and the pressure that had been buzzing in my abdomen started getting more prominent as Malcolm’s tongue lapped away. My twitching underneath his hands increased as the urgency to let the pressure go filled my body. 

“Oh fuck,” I gasped out as another zing of arousal shot down my stomach and into my core. “Malcolm— God damn it, fuck! Let me move my hands, please!”

“Don’t even think about it, Liberty.” Malcolm growled, pulling away from my clit momentarily to snarl at my words. 

“But—“ I didn’t even get to my second word, his fingers dug into my hips, yanking even further into his mouth as he increased his lashing tenfold. I let out a yelp, now full on thrashing in his iron clad grip, crying out as the pressure built to a point that was borderline painful. 

This sensation continued for what felt like an eternity as tears that had prickled at the edges of my eyes from trying to hold on, streaked down the sides my face. Gasping, I clenched my teeth together as the cool air of the room cooled down the warm streaks. 

“Give it to me,” Malcolm finally breathed out, and at that point my muscles couldn’t hold it in any longer and fully agreed with Malcolm’s demand. My walls clenched down and like a tidal wave, I came with a strangled cry and my back arching off the lush sheets. 

My eyesight blurred momentarily as lightheadedness hit me, and flopping back against the sheets, I panted, trying to catch my breath. I felt like the world was spinning, and all I could do was lay in a limp heap as Malcolm crawled back up to hover over me. 

“You still with me, sweetheart?” Malcolm gently asked as he reached up to brush some sweaty hair out of my face. Groaning, I blinked rapidly before meeting his eyes. 

“I’ll tell you when I can feel my legs again.” I moaned, twisting slightly. Malcolm chuckled before bending down and planting a light kiss on my lips. 

“Oh sweetheart, I’m only just getting started.” Malcolm answered, smirking down at me as I groaned in response. “And believe me, I am by no means a selfish lover.”

“How the hell am I supposed to last when you cause brain shattering orgasms?” I complained, internally wincing. If I had that intense of an orgasm and he wasn’t even inside me yet, would I even last the night? God, would I even be able to walk tomorrow?

“I told you that I liked you Libby,” Malcolm said, brushing his thumb across my lips. “And I make sure that my woman is thoroughly taken care of.”

“You are making feel awfully selfish, Mr. Merlyn.” I stated as I drew my arms down to brush my own fingers against his face. “What kind of woman does that make me?” 

“The kind that let’s her lover indulge in his desires to worship the woman he has fantasized about for weeks.” My cheeks flushed as my fingers stilled on his cheek. Malcolm’s blue eyes bored into mine before he twisted his head and pressed his lips into my palm. When I didn’t pull away, he bent his head back down to mine and brushed his lips against mine. 

Lifting my head ever so slightly, I fully connected our lips as I slid my hand from his face to the back of his head. Moving his lips against mine, Malcolm kissed me far gentler than any of our previous lip mashing, taking his time to brush his soft lips against my sensitive ones, nip at my mouth, and add every ounce feeling into every minuscule action. 

Reaching up with my other hand, I draped it over the taut skin of his shoulder to press my fingers into his shoulder. His hand grasped the side of my neck and chin, pulling my head up to further press our lips together.

The soft fabric of the sweatpants he still wore brushed against my moisture laden body, causing friction that brought back the need that had burned low in the back of my mind. Groaning in response, I wiggled my body and pressed my hips against his, wanting more than just brief moments of contact. 

My hands started to glide down his body, my fingertips feeling every inch of Malcolm’s muscles as they made their way to their intended destination. The waistband of his sweatpants. With our mouths still pressed together, nipping and tugging as I slipped my fingers underneath the waist band and ran them over his devilishly sharp hipbones.

“Had enough waiting, have you?” Malcolm asked, his lips pulling away from my sensitive ones. Our noses brushed against each other as I peered up at him from beneath my eyelashes. 

“You’re the one that wanted to worship me.” I breathed back, my lips brushing against his as I gave him a curvy smile. “So worship me.” 

Malcolm’s eyes glittered into mine for a few brief seconds before he removed himself from where he had been hovering over me. As he moved to get to his feet, my fingers slipped from his waistband, trailing over the skin of his hip.

Reaching backwards, I propped myself up on my hands to dragged my still slightly tingling body up to watch with rapt attention as Malcolm slowly dragged his sweatpants over his hips and down his legs. Instantly my mouth started to water at the sight of him. Oh yes, I liked what I saw, and he was all mine for the night. 

“Like what you see?” Malcolm asked, his signature smirk back on his lips as he placed his hands on my ankles and brushed the pads of his fingers over my skin. My eyes trailed back up to his as I ran my tongue underneath my teeth. 

“You know I do, Malcolm, you know I do.” I responded before a hint of smirk crossed my lips. “And I usually see half naked men on a daily basis.” 

He cocked his head to the side and before I could realize that he was going to do it, yanked on my ankles, pulling me towards him. Letting out a small yelp as I was pulled out from my propped position, my back slid along the sheets until I was at the edge of the bed, my legs hanging partially off the mattress mid thigh.

As Malcolm leaned over me, his hands trailed up my calves to slide beneath my knees and wrap around my thighs. 

“You know exactly how to make a man jealous, Lib,” Malcolm drawled out as he slipped his right hand up the rest of the way to where my hip ached slightly from his earlier grip. I flashed him a teasing smile before sneaking my hands underneath his arms and planting them on his back as I pulled our bodies together. 

“And yet you’re the one I want pressed up against my body.” I answered my eyes twinkling with mischief. “Maybe I just have thing for dark haired archers.” 

“It better stay that way,” Malcolm ordered, a hint of darkness in his words. That only spurred my attraction for the man and goaded me on. 

“Then fuck me already archer boy,” I threw back in his face. Oh that really did it, I got a flash of the Dark Archer as his hands disappeared from my body. The sounds of a condom being ripped open reached my ears as I kept my look of challenge displayed on my face. 

He certainly didn’t like that, and I had a feeling I would pay for goading him so much later, but at this point, I just needed him in me, and needed him in me now. 

One moment I was staring challengingly into his eyes and the next I was flat on my back with my nails digging into his shoulder blades as he pushed into me, one hand back on my waist and the other pulling my leg up around his waist.

My lips parted and a strangled gasp rasped out of my parted lips as my eyelids fluttered and my eyes rolled. It had been ages since I had last slept with someone, and it was obvious with every inch he sank further into me.

“Jesus Lib,” Malcolm muttered in a husky, strained voice. Trying not to claw up his back with my nails, I breathed through my nose as he bottomed out. “You feel like—“

“What? Like a virgin?” I groaned as my entire body quivered. “I’m not, but I don’t exactly spread my legs for every pretty face that crosses my path.” 

“Oh really?” He asked, raising an eyebrow as he bent down, sliding his hand up my hip. His light touch traveled over my stomach, brushed up the side of my breast, and finally gently cupped the side of my face gently. 

“Only for the ones I really like, I do actually have dignity.” I whispered in response. He started at me for a few moments.

“God, you’re perfect.” Malcolm mumbled before leaning down and pressing his lips against mine. His mouth devoured mine, owning every single millimeter of my sensitive lips as he started moving. Painfully slow might I add. 

“I’m perfect and you’re mean,” I groaned at him, breaking the kiss as I wiggled my hips, trying to get as much sensation and friction between our bodies as possible. “Faster!”

“And take away from the experience, I don’t think so,” Malcolm purred before removing his hand from my leg and burying his hand into my hair, pulling my head back. With my throat bare to whatever whim floated through his mind, Malcolm pressed his mouth to my neck and started sucking. 

Breathlessly moaning, I pressed my head back into the mattress while wrapping both of my legs around his waist. Tightening my legs, my body shuddered as each thrust seemed to go deeper, hitting a new angle, feeling better than the last. 

I would have felt embarrassed at the amount of sounds coming from my body, the lewd moans, heavy pants, and just generally sounds I did not make… but Malcolm was voicing his pleasure against my skin just as much as I was.

Luckily for me, his patience at torturing me with a slow pace seemed to run slim with every thrust, and with every jolt against my pelvis, and soon enough his pace quickened to a point where my mouth dropped open and my cries of pleasure caught in my throat. 

Through the dizzying pleasure, both from his thrusts and from his mouth traveling around my neck and collar bones, marking me as his for the night, heat started to burn in my lower abdomen. Letting out a trembling moan, I felt my walls start to clench together, making me dig my nails into his back.

“Fuck!” I exclaimed, my legs trembling from weakness, prompting me to further dig my heels into his ass. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” 

“How much do you want this?” Malcolm purred, his lips brushing up against the sensitive skin of my ear. “Come tomorrow, what do you want to feel?” 

“You,” I responded shakily as he never once ceased his relenting thrusts. My eyelids fluttered as I tried to keep my mind clear enough to respond. “I want to feel you, I want to feel you for days.” I groaned. “I want you to bite me, brand me, make me yours.” 

“Do you even know what you are asking for, Libby?” He asked, his voice husky as he dragged his lips along my jaw until his face hovered over mine. His eyes were dark, filled with lust, and on the verge of predatory. My eyes flashed in retaliation. 

“Did I fucking stutter?” I whispered, a hint of the notorious Snart attitude in my voice as our breaths mingled in the minute space between our lips. “Make me yours, and don’t let me forget it.” 

*****

His eyes practically turned black before he was moving. And move he did, he was sliding out of me faster than I could blink and grabbing onto my hips, dragging me forwards before flipping me onto my stomach. 

A gasp let my lips as my stomach slammed down onto the mattress and my forearms caught my body. Malcolm was climbing up onto the bed, hovering over me as he reached for something off to the right. 

I shakily tried to push myself onto my hands and knees but soon found him planting a strong hand in the center of my back and shoving me back down. My arms broke under the tension and I was resolved to let him move my body exactly where he wanted it to be. 

A few seconds later his lips were on my right shoulder as something cool was ran down my spine, tracing the individual bumps and making shivers go up my back from the cold temperature of whatever item he held in his hand. 

“You want me to mark you up? Brand you? Make you explicitly mine?” He questioned, his lips moving against my shoulder blade. “Because darling, I’d be happy to carve you up so you can never forget me.” 

“Yessss,” I practically begged, dragging the word out as his hand glided across my aching hip to slip its way between my folds to tease my already aching core. He chuckled darkly before tracing the cold object up to the spot on my right shoulder where he had previously kissed. 

“Move your body and I’ll stop.” He murmured into my ear before the cold objected was pressed into my shoulder. Stinging pain erupted from my shoulder that nearly stole my breath away, my lips trembled and my mouth opened. But rather than whine in pain, a wilted moan tumbled out as his fingers pressed into my clit, lighting the fire in my abdomen once more. 

Forcing my body to not writhe under his touch, from both the stinging burn and the pleasure, my fingernails dug into the bedsheets as I panted and gasped. More wordless sounds came bubbling up from my throat as the sting started moving on my shoulder. I had asked him to mark me up, and that’s what he was doing. 

When the cold object disappeared, the stinging remained. Moments later something was being pressed over the stinging portion of my shoulder and a kiss was soon placed above the burning portion of my skin. 

Despite the burning in my shoulder, I was soon more focused on the pair of lips dragging themselves down my spine, and the hand that pulled my hips back against his. Just as I caught my breath from the influx of sensations he was just wrought on my body, Malcolm slammed back into me with strength he had yet to use. 

I let out a choked cry as my body lurched forwards, my forearms sliding on the luscious sheets. Thrown straight back into border lining my second orgasm of the night, I bit down on my lip and pressed my forehead into the mattress. 

The heat and tingling in my lower abdomen got so bad that I started to whine and wriggle underneath his body. Malcolm’s right hand slithered up my arm and covered mine, his fingers weaving with mine as he pressed his face into my neck. 

A few more well places thrusts and I was crying out, my legs shaking as my second orgasm took over my senses. My hearing went out as white noise and a subtle ringing echoed in my head, and for a few moments my eyesight blurred. 

When I came back to, Malcolm’s body was no longer pressed against my back, but next to me, brushing sweaty hair out of my face. Blinking my eyes at him, I groaned and shifted my body, wincing slightly. 

“How’re you feeling?” He asked, his eyebrow quirking upwards while he softly smirked. I groaned in response.

“I’ll tell you when I can feel my body again.” I answered dramatically, making his smirk grow on his face and his eyes twinkle. 

“Mission accomplished then.” Malcolm cheekily replied, flashing me his white smile. I rolled my eyes at him before carefully observing him. 

“This where you kick me out and I have my walk of shame?” I asked, have teasingly and half actually wondering if he was in fact, going to kick me out. 

“Mhmm, no, I don’t think so,” He answered, cocking his head slightly. “I worked hard to get you here, I’m not going to let you go running off so soon.” 

“Well, I believe I would have to drag myself,” I corrected him wryly. “I wasn’t lying, my legs feel like jelly.” 

Malcolm laughed before reaching over and gently wrapping his arms around my body, pulling me to his chest. 

“Alright, I’ll let you stay,” He said airily. “But you’ll have to stay close, this room tends to stay on the cold side and I couldn’t in good consciousness allow you freeze.” 

Giggling slightly, I snuggled up to his chest and laid my head on the very muscles I had dreamed about for weeks while he pulled the covers up and over our bodies. Curling my right hand against my chest, I closed my eyes as Malcolm slipped his hand underneath my arm to rest it on my hip. 

Closing my eyes, my mind drifted, replaying how I had finally scratched my Malcolm Merlyn itch, and boy was it most definitely worthy to remember, not to mention if Leonard ever found out, well, I could only imagine the look on his face.

*****

I had woken up next to less than a handful of men in my life time, but all of which I can say never remained close, nor did they keep their hand on my waist, or spoon me in a divinely warm embrace that I was currently loving every second of. I would have lavished in his arms for longer if a thought hadn’t suddenly popped into my mind and panic flooded my body. 

Was Leonard already up, and was he looking for me?

“Shit, Leonard.” I breathed before trying to scoot out of Malcolm’s arms and head for the edge of the bed. 

“Don’t even think about it, Lib,” Malcolm murmured from behind me. His hand slipping from my waist to my stomach as he pulled me back against him. “He is currently sleeping off a hangover which means I get to snuggle with you for longer.”

Groaning from a heavy set ache that had settled into my body overnight, I risked the wrath of my body further by rolling in his embrace to face him. His hair was sticking up every which way from my fingers, and his blue eyes were still closed, but he had a smile on his lips.

“Dare I ask who got Leonard smashed?” I questioned, raising an eyebrow at him as I snuggled closer. Opening his eyes, Malcolm grinned at me. 

“It would seem that both Darhk and Thawne were on your side last night, they both joined in the festivities, happy keep Snart’s cup full.” My eyebrow rose at the mention of Eobard helping out, I thought the man barely tolerated my presences? “Thawne won’t admit it, but you’ve grown on him.” 

I huffed before closing my eyes and snuggling closer.

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” I murmured, the cloudiness of sleep starting to roll back into my mind. “Don’t let me sleep in too late, I do have to sneak back to my room you know.” 

“As you wish, sweetheart.” Malcolm whispered in my ear as I relaxed back into his comforting hold. 

About an hour later I was hastily pulling on my discarded clothes, my face pink from the amount of marks Malcolm had left on my body. My inner thighs were covered, my hips had finger marks, my chest was splotched purple and blue, and my neck, along with bruises, had a couple of bite marks. 

“How the hell am I supposed to hide this?” I growled softly to myself as I stared at myself in Malcolm’s bedroom mirror, trying to use my hair to cover my shoulders and neck. Nothing was working at this point.

Malcolm seemed to find my situation hilarious, and watched as I floundered around for a solution before throwing one of his sweatshirts my way. Glaring at him for finding my floundering so amusing, I shoved my arms through the arm holes before raising my arms and dragging it over my head. 

Instantly the action made my shoulder burst on fire with pain, and I was glad that my face was covered by the material when I flinched. That’s right, I told him to mark me, brand me, and he had, on my right shoulder. I didn’t know what he did, but he did something, cut my skin most likely, but not enough to make me bleed bad. Whatever he had put over the site had prevented me from bleeding everywhere while I slept.

Pulling the sweatshirt down my torso and covering my neck and chest, I forced my face into a neutral look as my shoulder continued to burn. Turning on my heel, I placed my hands on my hips and looked at Malcolm who had pulled on his sweatpants at some point and was now lounging on his bed. 

“Well?” I asked, looking at him. “How do I look?” 

His black eyebrow popped up and a slight smirk appeared on his face. 

“Does it look like I spent the night fucking you!?” I erupted in exasperation, knowing full well he was going to play with my words if I let him. He let out a chuckle before closing the book he had been reading and set it aside. 

Malcolm got to his feet and walked over to where I stood, looking down at me with his blue eyes. He studied me for a second before tucking my hair behind my right ear. 

“So,” I prompted again. “Do I?”

“Unfortunately, no, you do not look like you spent the night fucking me.” He responded, cocking his head to the side. “A pity really, but I doubt Leonard would appreciate the fact that I had my way with his baby sister.” 

“I’m an adult who is fully capable of making my own decisions,” I muttered softly before leaning forwards and thumping my forehead against Malcolm’s chest. Malcolm’s arms gently wrapped me in a hug as he buried his face in my haphazardly finger brushed hair. 

“He’s an older brother, that’s his job Lib.” Malcolm murmured into my hair. I let out an extraneous sigh, knowing that he was right about Leonard acting like an overprotective oaf.

“Well I better get back before Leonard drags his hungover ass out of bed, or Thawne decides to be an ass and rat me out.” I sighed, pulling away. “I’ll see you… whenever I guess…” 

Malcolm released me, and rubbing my neck lightly, I quietly left his room, feeling his eyes on me the entire way until the door shut behind me. 

Tottering my through the compound, I couldn’t help but wince a couple of times as the ache between my legs, and the bruising on my hips made walking slightly painful. Well I had most definitely scratched my Malcolm Merlyn itch, and would feel it for days by the way my body was feeling at the moment. 

Slinking past the kitchen, I noticed that Damien was already up, a cup of steaming tea next to him as he once again, was reading from a book. 

“I’m surprised that he let you stay so long.” He called softly, his crystal eyes still scanning the book in front of him. 

“Yeah, well, apparently he worked too hard to get me there to kick me out so soon.” I muttered in response, wincing slightly as one of my thigh muscles let its displeasure known. “Did you and Thawne really drink with Leonard for that long?” 

“Like I said previously, Miss Snart,” Damien said, finally peeling his eyes from the book. “You’re company is not bad, and at times, quite enjoyable. I’d hate to see what you are like when really angry.” 

“You’re a good man, Damien,” I murmured quietly, giving him once last look before moving on to hobble to my bedroom for a much needed soak in the tub. Slipping into my room and locking the door, I carefully shed my clothes, folding Malcolm’s sweatshirt up and setting it on my bed, before walking for my bathroom. 

My shoulder ached the most, and my curiosity still burned in my mind, so that was the first thing I was going to do. Standing naked in the bathroom, I carefully reached over my shoulder and peeled the white gauze pad from my skin. 

Blood and plasma clung to the white cloth, in various stages of drying as I threw it into the trash. Taking a deep breath I turned around and looked over my shoulder. My eyes widened a fraction of an inch as they washed over the carefully carved letter that would now permanently mar my skin. 

_“Did I fucking stutter?” I whispered, a hint of the notorious Snart attitude in my voice as our breaths mingled in the minute space between our lips. “Make me yours, and don’t let me forget it.”_

I had asked him to mark me up, and he did exactly that. Malcolm had carved an M into my shoulder with what I could only guess was an arrow head. I was not someone who liked mixing pleasure with pain, but the idea of him marking me up so I could never forget made my body tingle. Snorting softly, my lips curved into a partial smile. 

“Well played, Mr. Merlyn, well played.”


	17. Sorry I'm Late Honey, Traffic Was A Bitch (Malcolm Merlyn)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Sorry I'm Late Honey, Traffic Was A Bitch:** Liberty Snart has not been able to forget a certain Dark Archer, despite months having gone by since they last saw each other. After training with Oliver Queen to continue to learn how to use a bow, Libby gets a chance to test out one of Cisco’s creations, and with that comes a familiar face.   
> **Warnings:** Language,   
> **To Note:** Malcolm Merlyn x OC,

Running up a ramp, I drew an arrow from the quiver on my back and let it loose at one of the moving targets on the wall. Once the arrow was flying through the air, I let myself fall into a shoulder roll, rolling back to my feet before twisting around behind a pillar as a paintball came rocketing through the space I had just vacated.

The paint filled ball smashed against the edge of the pillar, spraying paint everywhere, some of which landed on my upper arm. Glancing down at my arm, I looked at the new splash of green and blue paint. 

_Damn it._

Letting out a disgruntled sigh, I nabbed another arrow and knocked it, before taking a few deep breaths. Three more to go and I would be done, or at least done and then be chewed out by Oliver for getting hit by the paint balls. 

Darting out from behind the pillar I released the arrow at the next target before diving into a roll as a sporadic wave of paint balls sailed over my head. Rolling back to my feet I dodged another wave before quickly shoot an arrow. 

Shit, I was off, oh well I couldn’t exactly stay in this spot and gripe about it unless I wanted to get nailed by more paint balls. Dodging the oncoming onslaught of fire, I ran away from the target, using the varied steps and elevated platforms.

Oliver always preached that my flexibility, leg and core strength, and speed were my best assets, so I would use them to obliterate the last target. Running at one of the walls, I took a step up it and threw myself into a backflip twist. 

In rapid fire, I sent three arrows at the target in a triangle formation before sending the last at the bullseye when my feet hit the ground. The last arrow hit true, and the target cracked under the stress I had put it under with my arrows. 

Just as I went to inspect my work of the other targets, a paint ball nailed me right in the bare shoulder, causing me to let out an undignified yelp and stagger backwards slightly while flickering my eyes to Oliver who had just shot me. 

“Seriously?” I barked as I massaged the welt on my shoulder, not caring that I was smearing more paint into my skin. Oliver grunted at me while lowering the paint ball gun. “I thought I did an okay job considering you upped the speed at which I get shot at…” 

“Okay isn’t going to cut it in the field, Liberty.” Oliver stated while I rolled my eyes. 

“Because I am totally going to run out and search for bad guys to take down like Barry and you do every night. Totally makes sense.” I grumbled, gesturing with the bow in my hand while I caught my breath. “Isn’t this a little excessive? I wanted to learn how to use a bow, not how to become the next vigilante.” 

“Barry asked me to make sure that you could handle yourself if trouble ever ended up going your way because of who your brother is.” Oliver said as he walked over. “I’m doing that, while I teach you how to use a bow. Besides, you’re already pretty agile and strong since you dance for a living.”

“It’s called dance exercise, and stop making me feel like a stripper.” I mutter as I dropped my eyes to the bow in my hands. Three months ago I had left Central City to come learn from Oliver how to use a bow, and to take a much needed vacation away from said city. 

Lucky for me, Rip Hunter went back in time and pulled some strings for me so I could get my job back when I was ready. He felt a certain amount of guilt for getting me involved and then kidnapped by the Legion of Doom, so I had that security.

But at the moment, I was kind of just trying to keep myself distracted from a certain black haired, blue eyed man I may or may still care about. 

Oliver hummed at me before quickly raising the paint ball gun and shooting at me, on instinct, I jerked to the side, twisting my upper body to avoid the shot. When the paint ball sailed right by me, I turned my head to give Oliver my biggest bitch face. He only cocked his head to the side. 

“You’re reflexes are pretty good.” He commented while I scowled at him. 

“Really!?” He shrugged at me. 

“You live in a city full of Meta’s, Lib, you need some sort of edge on you if you’re to protect yourself.” Oliver said before the city alarms started going off in the training room. Glancing up at the flashing lights, I sighed. 

“Looks your city needs you once more, Green Arrow,” I drawled out before we started walking over to where Felicity spent the majority of her time. Oliver headed off to change and head out while I bent over Felicities shoulder. 

“What’d we looking at tonight?” I asked as my eyes scanned the multiple screens on the table. 

“Hmm, armed robbery, a couple mugging cases, a woman taking her ex’s Ferrari on a joyride…” Felicity mused while I shook my head. 

“Yeah, not nearly as exciting as Central,” I commented before wincing as one of the welts on my legs flared in pain. “God I feel like I need an ice bath.”

Felicity turned her eyes to my sports bra and yoga pant covered body, which was also covered in welts, pain, and bruises, lots and lots of bruises. 

“Wow,” She said, dragging the word out as he draped her arm over the back of her roller chair. “He’s not going easy on you, is he?” 

“Barry asked him to train me in self defense,” I responded, cocking my head to the side as I rubbed my aching right knee. “Apparently that means training me like a vigilante and shooting paint balls at me for fun. He may have a stoic face but sometimes I think he gets a kick out of shooting me.”

“Yeahhh, ouch.” Felicity said with a wince. “You should probably get that paint off and ice those welts.”

Sighing in agreement, I set my borrowed bow back on its rack and removed the quiver placing where it too, belonged. Pulling my coat on, I grabbed my phone and car keys before looking at Felicity. 

“If you need anything, call me.” I said as I headed for the exit. 

“Does that include coffee!?” Felicity shouted half heartedly over her shoulder while I smiled and shook my head. Trotting to my car, I slipped into the drivers seat, wincing as my aching body protested the action.

Maybe I just needed an ice bath for a few days… or maybe a week. I drove to the apartment I had on lease and practically sighed when I closed the door behind me. Several buckets of ice in the bathtub later, I was sitting in a deep freeze with my phone next to me, trying not to think about how cold my body now felt. 

While I was off in my own little world, my phone started ringing, and I instantly knew who was calling by the ringtone. Sighing, I raised my hand out of the water, and flickered my cold finger across the screen accepting the call. 

“Hey Cisco,” I said in a tired voice. 

“Hey Lib, so get this, I finally finished that project I told you I was working.” Cisco said excitedly. 

“That’s nice Cisco,” I responded, dropping my arm back into the icy water. “Why are you bothering me with this information?”

“Well I was wondering if you wanted to come check it out? We haven’t seen you in like forever, and I miss you.” 

“You just want to use me to test out your new suit, don’t you.” I sighed, pinching my forehead. 

“Okay, so maybe I purposefully made it in your size… but come on! It’s made to stretch with your body movements and be unrestrictive, while being bullet proof and knife proof!” 

“And I would need those things… why?” There was a very pregnant pause, and I heard the shuffling of Cisco’s feet. 

“Please?” I closed my eyes. 

“Give me three weeks,” I spoke quietly before ending the call and leaning back against the tub. Whatever Cisco wanted to rope me into… well I knew it had to do with what he got all excited about before I left for Star city.

For about a month after I had gotten back from my thirteen weeks with the Legion of Doom, I had pretty much lived with team Flash. A safety precaution if you will, and while there, Cisco had picked up on my desire to learn how to use a bow, then came the ludicrous idea of Central city having its very own Arrow.

I put my foot down on that, but obviously the idea never left Cisco’s mind. It was time to return home and get back to my life, but once you life got tangled up in the world of meta’s, you never got rid of them.

*****

Three weeks later, after saying goodbye to team Arrow and packing up my things, I was standing in Star labs while Cisco and Caitlin directed Barry on his latest problem. No, Cisco hadn’t gotten me into his newest creation, yet that is, because after the hugs and catch ups, the alarm went off and Barry had to go zipping out. 

“How bad is it?” I asked, looking at the piles of information of the screens in front of me. Caitlin clicked at the key board while Cisco pulled up traffic cameras. 

“Judging by the numbers and how even with extra help, we still can’t get a one up on the Stormtroopers.” Cisco responded while I raised an eyebrow and cocked my head to the side. 

“Sorry, the what?” I asked, giving the engineer a confused look. Caitlin snorted and turned her head to me. 

“Cisco’s nickname for them since we don’t have any idea who they are. It’s a group from another Earth, they keep breeching over here and hurting people. We’ve already had a few deaths.” Caitlin filled in as she returned to her typing. “We’ve recruited a few unlikely allied to get them off this earth, but we haven’t had any luck getting any information on them.” 

“Well I hate to say it but Barry is getting his ass kicked.” I said, pointing put the obvious. “And at this rate, he’ll get injured or worse.” 

“What do you suggest then?” Cisco asked, spinning his chair so he was facing me. “You did spend almost four months with team Arrow.” 

I studied the screen, and the movements of the ‘Stormtroopers’, as Cisco so lovingly monikered them. Making my mind up, I drummed my finger nails on my arm once.

“Cisco?” I asked, he perked up, I looked down at him. “Suit, now.” 

His face lit up and he was scrambling from his seat, scurrying away from the curved table of computers. 

“Okay, okay, okay!” He blabbered as he walked, me following close behind. “So it’s basically kind of like Oliver’s suit, except amped up.” 

“Bells and whistles, Cisco.” I said, wanting him to skip the geeking out since time was of the essence. 

“Okay, okay, basic pants, made of that fabric I was telling you about, lots of places to tuck knives in, comes with an awesome pair of boots with a little wedge, I hid a taser in the heel so with the right amount of pressure, you can taser someone while kicking them.” Cisco said as we turned down a hall and entered the elevator. “They’re both sleek and body conforming to move with your body contortions, I went with black, plenty of time to accessorize later.”

“Tell me you have made at least a shirt.” I said as the elevator doors opened up to the level where all the tech was stored. 

“I’m getting there, I’m getting there.” Cisco said with a hint of hurt in his eyes. “Anyways, I had to think about how your upper body moved and went with a more light weight design, you could be more prone to getting cut on your upper arms and maybe like a sliver of your stomach, but considering how ninja awesome you are, I highly doubt that’ll happen…”

“For the love of god Cisco,” I groaned at him. He sent a scathing look. 

“I made you wrist and forearm guards that partially protect you elbows, they can withstand blocking a blade if you get there, and as for the most important part, covering your identity, I made a super sleek, super high tech scarf that covers your mouth and nose can mask your voice, change your hair and eye color, filters out aerosols and gases, and protect you against it being removed.” Cisco finished with a big breath before turning to me. “Any questions?” 

“Just put me in the damn suit.” I said as Cisco stopped in front of his workspace and typed in his passcode. 

“Yes ma’am.” He said before wrenching the door open. Following him in, I saw the suit he had built. Alright, I could see that it was indeed what he described it as. Stalking past Cisco, I yanked the pants and shirt from the stand while he started protesting, and began to strip. 

“Ooookayyyy!” He exclaimed, promptly turning around as I striped down to my underwear and bra. Pulling on the pants first, I found that they were much likes the yoga pants I worked out in, and moved quite well. Pulling the top on, I found that the front exposed about four inches of my midriff at the bottom while the short sleeves jutted out from my shoulders, but didn’t restrict my arm movement underneath. 

Humming in approval, I grabbed the boots and shoved my feet into them, zipping them up. They added about three inches to my height, and were surprisingly comfortable. I’d have to see how well I could run in them later. 

Grabbing the black sleeves, I slid them onto my forearms to protect my skin from getting rubbed by the arm braces which as light as they were, felt extremely durable and heavy duty. Tying off the laces of the braces, I slipped my hands into the glove Cisco had also made before turning around look at the engineer. 

“How do I look?” I asked, putting my hands on my hips. Cisco took a tentative peek over his shoulder before turning all the way around. 

“Like an Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman, only Ciscofied and showing more skin,” He answered before walking over to his desk and grabbing a jumble of cloth. “This is the scarf I was talking about, took me ages to get, but with a little bit of H.R.’s tech, and Harry’s help, I managed it.”

He walked up to me before squinting at me. 

“How fast can you braid your hair?” He asked, squinting at my back hair in its ponytail. Rolling my eyes, I did a whirling braid of my hair, making a very tight braid before tying it off. “Okay, good, good, if you’ll just let me.”

He reached up and started wrapping the shimmering black material around my nose, mouth and neck. The fabric adhered to my skin, pressing flat, but not obstructing my ability to breath. Cisco tied off the material before picking up a tablet and tapping at it. 

“Okay, so it’ll change your voice, your hair and eye color, and will refuse to come off by anyone who’s DNA isn’t in my system.” He said as his eyes flickered across the screen. “How does it feel?” 

“Fine,” I nearly winced as my voice came out a deep, mans voice. Cisco pressed his lips together and shook his head. 

“Okay, we’re not going that deep,” He said before toying with the tablet. “Alright, try that.”

“What do you want me to say?” I asked, slightly irritated but then intrigued as my voice came out with a Scottish lit and very feminine. 

“Excellent,” Cisco mused before peering at his tablet. “Let’s go with intense green, and vibrant red.”

“What?” I asked in the slightly Scottish accent. I felt a tingle and a shiver across my skin as Cisco’s eyebrows went up. 

“Wow, you are both hot, and badass looking now… awesome. No one will recognize you. Operation Merida is complete!” 

“Cisco!” I exclaimed at him, crossing my forearms. “The hell are you talking about and what did you just do!?”

“OKay, okay!” He said, holding up his hands in surrender. “I may have decided that I was going to model everything after Merida from Brave, so I made you look like her and gave you an accent, but at least no one will know that Liberty Snart is behind that scarf!”

My eye, presumably green, twitched slightly at how thought out and deep Cisco had gone in on this before I side stepped him and started heading for the elevator. 

“Wait! Aren’t you forgetting your toys!?” Cisco called as he scrambled to catch up with me. “You can’t go out there without some sort of protection or weapon!” 

“I’ve got that covered,” I answered, my accent stretching out the word covered. Cisco scrambled after me in confusion but didn’t question me further as I headed back to where I had left the box with Oliver’s gift. 

Grabbing the box, I went to the nearest table while Caitlin did a double take at me before getting up from her seat. 

“Seriously Cisco!” She exclaimed as I clicked the clasps open and opened the lid. A pristine bow stared back at me with a matching quiver full of arrows I had no doubt Oliver sharpened himself. 

While Cisco and Caitlin started arguing, I grabbed the quiver and started strapping it to my back. While I buckled the straps across my chest and around my waist, I could feel zero resistance from the material I wore. This was good, very good. With my quiver strapped to my back and the arrows resting neatly in it, I grabbed the bow and flicked it open to test the tension of the string, perfect. 

“If you two are done arguing, I think I could use an ear piece and then be on my way.” I spoke up, interrupting the two arguing scientists. Caitlin turned to me with an exasperated look while Cisco zipped off to get what I had asked for. When he returned, he handed me the small black ear pieces, instructing me to put them in both of my ears. 

“They’ll protect you from any sound interference or Meta’s with subsonic screams.” He explained while winced at the memory of the meta that had just about caused Barry to lose his hearing all together if it wasn’t for his super healing. 

“Got it,” I said before turning around and heading for the exit. “I’ll take care of this mess, just keep Barry alive long enough for me to get to him will you?” 

Deciding that the best way to get to Barry was to hijack one of Cisco’s pet projects, I headed for the bike Cisco had been raving about, claiming that it was practically soundless. Walking up to the sleek bike, I smiled behind my scarf at how it matched my outfit. 

“Let’s see if you’ll purr for me before Cisco notices I’m taking you out.” I mused as I threw my leg over the side of the bike. Looking down, I saw that it was touch screen based, and with a few pressed of my fingers, the bike rumbled to like beneath my legs, and exceedingly quiet. “Consider me impressed Cisco.” 

With that I peeled out of Star labs and headed for the storage facilities. Wind bit at my exposed skin as I took the back roads, avoiding cars and pedestrians. I couldn’t exactly zip by like Barry could. 

I decided to park the bike in a parking lot with other motorcycles, consequently near a bar, and activated the camouflage mode that made the bike look like an unassuming simple Harley. Running the rest of the way to Barry’s location, I could already see why Cisco called them Stormtroopers. 

They wore outfits like Stormtroopers, and helmets covered their faces. But unlike their Star Wars counterparts, they didn’t stay down when hit, and didn’t even go down easily. My eyebrow rose when there was a streak of yellow and Eobard Thawne of all people appear, throwing one Stormtrooper into another like a bowling ball. 

“I guess that’s the back up,” I mused quietly before noting chunks of ice and arrows. Quickly maneuvering myself into a better position, I saw that the entire Legion was here, trying to help with the problem. 

My eyes flickered to Leonard, and I could see that he was holding his own just fine, much like Damien, who was throwing the robot like men around with his magic, but ultimately my eyes went to the Dark Archer. 

He was moving with the grace Oliver possessed, and was smoothly firing arrow after arrow, smacking the men around with his bow occasionally, and all around just looking hot in general. 

“God I’m hopeless,” I sighed to myself before the radio in my ears crackled. 

“Alright Merida, we see you in position, considering that the Legion seems to be doing pretty well, go help Barry. He looks completely lost at what to do.” Snorting softly, I started picking my way across the warehouse roof top, heading in Barry’s general direction. 

“Do we have any know weakness, Cait?” I asked as I reached the edge of the roof top, placing my foot on the very edge and peering down. 

“None what so ever, that’s the problem, they just won’t go down.” Caitlin responded, distress in her voice for not knowing something. “I need more information, or a sample of one of them, because these guys are definitely not human.” 

“Let’s say I get you a sample, could you potentially find out what makes them tick?” I questioned, cocking my head to the side. 

“It would be better than what we have now, just… don’t get hurt.” My lips twitched. 

“Keep track of Barry,” I said before withdrawing an arrow and knocking it. Barry was just about to get mobbed by one of the men when I let my arrow loose, nailing the man in the shoulder and causing him to jerk to the side and fall in a heap. 

Barry gaped at the downed man with my arrow sticking out of him before looking up in my direction… right as another man jumped on him, swinging a knife. Taking the initiative since Barry seemed a little distracted, I shot an arrow into the wrist of the attacker before taking a step off the building and dropping. 

I landed with a soft roll on the ground before springing to my feet and taking a few big steps forwards. There was one of the mysterious men right in my path, and I was gunning for him first. My target turned just in time for me to whip my bow into his helmet, making his neck snap around. 

While he was disoriented I twisted around backwards and slammed my heel into his chest hard. To my glee, a zap of electricity left my heel and entered the man’s body right before he went tumbling back onto his back in a pile of twitching limbs. 

Not waiting to see the end result of my work, I plucked another arrow, knocked it and sent it flying into the chest of an advancing man. A knife was swung my way and instantly I held up my forearm. The blade clanged against my brace as I hooked my foot around my attackers leg and yanked. 

His balanced was lost and as he went tumbling down, I shot an arrow into his shoulder before kicking the knife out of his reach. Hearing Barry’s grunts of struggle, I grabbed my arrow and pulled it from the man’s chest, planning to use it again on another target when I noticed something unusual.

While the area wasn’t that well lit, it was lit enough for me to see that the blood coating the tip was jet black. Something was not right with these men. Quickly stinging the arrow, I shot the man Barry was struggling with, making him go down. Barry bent over his knees, breathing heavy with a groan as I walked up to him. 

“Who’re you?” He asked, catching his breath as he looked me up and down. Well, I guess that means Cisco’s tech works. 

“Not important at this moment,” I responded before looking around. No more of the Stormtroopers were appearing, but the ones down were slowly getting back to their feet. “You’ve got a big problem and you are in way over your head.” 

“What do you suggest we do then?” Barry asked, rubbing the back of his hand over his rapidly healing bruised chin. 

“Retreat and regroup,” I responded, knocking an arrow and shooting one of the men I had already shot who was in the process of getting up again, even with my arrow still lodged in his chest. 

“Well, that’s the best idea I’ve heard tonight.” I heard Leonard drawl out. Looking over my shoulder, set my green eyes on him and the other Legion members. He nodded his chin at me, his lips twitching and black eyebrow raising. “And you are, sweetheart?” 

Classic Leonard, will flirt with any attractive woman in a five mile radius. It was even worse that he was flirting with me, his baby sister. Oh well, I could tease him about it later. So I chose to snort at him and turn back to Barry. 

“Rather than waste your time beating down men who will just get back up, I’ve come to collect samples.” I drawled out, the scarf erring on the heavy side with the accent. “Dr. Snow should provide some valuable insight given enough time.”

“Wait, Caitlin sent you?” Barry asked before he cocked his head. Cisco must me talking to him. A few seconds went by of me standing, drumming my fingers on my bow, and the four Legion members watching with mixed amusement. “And how exactly are we supposed to do that? They’re wearing helmets!” 

Rolling my eyes, I turned on my heel and looked around for the nearest target. Bingo. Glancing at Barry who was still talking to Cisco, and then the Legion, I flourished my bow with a sigh and started walking towards one of the men with my arrow in his shoulder. 

He was stumbling around quite uncoordinated, which was already a plus for me. My walking turned into running, and with one leap, I was up on his shoulders, wrapping my legs around his neck while I slipped my bowstring underneath the helmet. 

With a hard yank, I started pulling on the helmet, my bowstring cutting into the man’s neck slightly before catching the edge of the helmet. It took a little effort on my part, even with strong arms, but the helmet started sliding. One more yank, and I was pushing off, flipping backwards with the helmet in hand. 

Landing lightly on my wedges, I stared, almost borderline gaped at what was tottering in front of me, slowly turning around. My jaw wanted to drop open and I wanted to scuttle back with a gasp of disgust, but I held my stance. 

The man beneath the stormtrooper like helmet had a face much like that of the Black Flash. Rotted in some areas, missing tendon, skin, muscles in others. The man let out a growl before stumbling in my direction with a loud screech, black blood staring to drip from its fully revealed teeth. 

It took maybe three steps, me standing my ground in front of it and tilting my head slightly, before a jet black arrow whistled from behind me and sank into its forehead. That made it drop back to the group in a slump, its pale blue milky eyes going vacant. 

Turning to look over my shoulder, I caught sight of Malcolm lowering his black bow. I looked back and I walked up to the downed man, crouching down in front of him. He or it, I wasn’t sure what to call him anymore, wasn’t moving, or trying to get back to his feet. Headshots seemed to work.

“Uh, I really don’t think you should be that close to… it.” I heard Barry mumble from behind me. Sighing, I balanced my bow on my legs as I looked over my shoulder. 

“Dr. Snow will want to look at it,” I spoke up. “Why don’t you drag him to her so she can poke and prod it, maybe get some answers?”

“Do I have to?” Barry complained as I got back to my feet and slung my bow across my chest. I raised my eyebrow at him as I passed him and the men. 

“You’re the one with the speed,” I countered. “Don’t want him waking up while in transport, do we?” 

“Oh come on!” Barry exclaimed. “Why can’t Thawne do it? He’s the fastest!”

“Does it look or sound like I care who drags the zombie to the doctor?” I asked, flashing a look over my shoulder. “Get it there.”

With that, I dove into the shadows, melting away into the darkness. I heard Barry groan again and a few seconds later I heard Eobard mumble. 

“Good luck with that, I’m not touching it, Allen.” 

*****  
Heading back where I had stashed the bike at the bar parking lot, I thought about what could possibly explain why those men looked like that underneath those helmets. Because I absolutely didn’t do zombies. Sighing to myself, I slung my leg over the bike and deactivated the camouflage mode before turning it on and pulling out of the parking lot. 

I headed straight for the labs, wanting to get out of this suit and then get back home before I had to run into any more of the Legion of Doom members. As far as they were concerned, I was still in Star city. 

Pulling up to the lab, I parked the bike in its respective spot before standing up and walking over to the nearest door. 

“Heyyyy,” I heard Cisco call in my ear. 

“What?” 

“You around?”

“Just got back, why?” I asked as I opened the door and entered the back hallway. “You better not be roping me into more shenanigans, Cisco.”

“Look, Caitlin has some questions about the zombie Stormtroopers, it won’t take long, please?” I sighed and shook my head as I approached the elevator. 

“Where is she?” I asked, rubbing my forehead. 

“In her lab, thank you, thank you, thank you,” 

“Don’t thank me yet, I’m still deciding if I want to strangle you for this.” I grumbled before entering the elevator and pressing the buttons that would take me to the biochemistry lab. A minute later I was walking into the lab to see Caitlin looking at something underneath her microscope. “How’s it looking?” 

“I want to know why their blood is black.” Caitlin muttered, her fingers working the dials of the microscope. 

“I want to know why they keep getting up, even after I shoot an arrow into their body. It’s like they don’t even register it.” I commented as I walked over and looked at the computer which showed what she was looking at. 

Black blood cells. 

“Black blood usually indicated old blood that’s oxidized,” Caitlin responded, her eyes still fixated on the sample. 

“That would explain the zombie part,” I commented. “When I removed the helmet, it got angry, really angry, screeched at me and headed my way, blood dripping from its mouth.”

“Could be a response to stimulus, or a reaction to losing the helmet, I won’t know until we run more tests.” She answered, finally taking her eyes off the sample. “You have arrows with blood on them? I want to look at the blood in various stages.”

Quirking my eyebrow, I reached back and grabbed the arrows I had collected before presenting them to her. 

“Don’t touch the arrowhead, Oliver keeps them sharp for a reason.” I told her before drumming my fingers on my leg. “Is Barry still around?” 

“He’s with Cisco.” Caitlin answered, her attention on my bloody arrows. I wouldn’t get much more from her. Leaving the biochem lab, I headed back to the cortex where I no doubt would find Cisco. I was right, naturally, Cisco was already tinkering around with the helmet I had pulled from the zombie Stormtrooper’s head. 

“You still look badass,” Cisco commented as I leaned against the table and crossed my arms. Snorting, I rubbed my forehead. 

“I’d like to know what those helmets are made of, and what they do because I highly doubt that they are just for aesthetics.” I said as I looked at the helmet Cisco was currently picking apart. “The one I pulled that from turned on me and growled after I pulled it.” 

“Like growl, or _growl_.” Cisco asked, his eyebrows bunched together. 

“Like I’m angry and I want to eat your brains, growl.” 

“Yikes, please tell me we aren’t dealing with an army of zombies…” Cisco muttered, as I made a sound in the back of my throat in agreement. “Night of the Living Dead already messed me up, I don’t need the real thing messing with my life right now.” 

“That’s why I had Barry drag one of them back to the lab.” I said with a devious grin, Cisco might not have been table to see my grin because of the scarf, but his eyes went huge.

“Wait, there’s one of those things here!?” He shrieked, his arms flailing about. I leaned my head to the left to avoid his flailing limb. 

“Well I shot it, and then the Dark Archer shot it in the forehead, so I’d say its pretty down for the count at the moment.” I explained. “Should be locked up at the moment if one of those boys actually did what I told them to.” 

“You told who to do what?” Cisco asked, cocking his head to the side in confusion. Smirking, I leaned my hip into the table further and crossed my ankles. 

“Well considering I didn’t know how long it would be out, I told Barry that he can argue with Dr. Thawne over who gets to drag the body back to the lab. I’m assuming one of them did as I asked considering that time is of the essence.”

“Damn, I missed that?” Cisco muttered, grumbling to himself. “I’d have loved to see you have a go at him, you’re bad ass enough to. Can you try shooting him with an arrow sometime? I’d pay you to do that.” 

“Go at who?” Cisco and I turned out heads to see Barry standing at the entrance of the Cortex with the Legion of Doom members standing behind him. Cisco cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. 

“Right, Barry, you didn’t get to meet our newest member!” Cisco exclaimed, switching to a tone that told me he was trying to be upbeat about being in the presence of the man who had pretended to be Harrison Wells for so long. I rotated my head to look at the five men. “Merida, this is Barry, Barry, Merida. Badass, can strangle you with her thighs, will shoot you in the ass if you threaten or try to hurt me, and I recommend not pissing her off.”

I rolled my eyes at the thigh comment as Barry waved at me as the eyebrows of the Legion of Doom members went up, no doubt from the thigh comment, before pushing away from the table and walking past Barry.

“A word, Mr. Flash?” I asked as I passed him. I strode past Eobard, Damien, Leonard, and Malcolm, giving them a side look before sauntering out to the hallway. Barry’s footsteps told me he was following me, so I led him to the area that overlooked the place where the particle accelerator popped open. I came to a stop, my back facing Barry. 

“Well considering that you seem to know so much bout this place, and Cisco and Caitlin know you, do I get to know your real name?” Barry asked. I turned around on my heel and crossed my arms. 

“You really haven’t figured it out yet?” I asked, actually somewhat amused that Barry hadn’t the foggiest idea who I was. I mean with how friendly Cisco and Caitlin were with me, he should have picked up on that. 

“That’s why I’m asking,” Barry responded, dragging his cowl down and staring at me with his doe eyes. I let out a deep breath and shook my head. 

“Not important at the moment, we need to discuss the topic of how to properly take down those men without you exhausting yourself, which by the way, you were doing.” I said instead of telling him who I was. “If my suspicions are correct, you need to start looking for the ringmaster, not going after the puppets.”

“Wait, you think they’re being controlled?” Barry asked, cocking his head to the side. I shrugged my shoulders. 

“It would make sense, they don’t seem to feel pain, they get up even after I fire an arrow into one of the most painful places to get shot, they don’t exactly act like sentient people.”

“That would make sense, they’d probably have the drive to complete whatever task they were given, and given how they react when I knock them down, I think you’re right.” Barry paused for a second, his brow furrowing. “Wait, that one that Merlyn shot at the end, the one you pulled the helmet off, it went crazy after you did that, maybe its the helmets?”

“Cisco’s breaking one down for me right now,” I answered, drumming my fingers on my arm. “We should have evidence soon enough if it’s true, but then we still have the problem of who’s the mastermind behind this and how do we stop them.” 

“I could call around, maybe get in touch with Harry? See if he has any idea?” Barry mused before frowning and looking at me. “Do you know who Harry is?” 

“Yes, Barry, I know who Harry is.” I responded dryly. That made him only huff at me and cross his own arms. Then he scrutinized my body a little more closely. 

“Wait, isn’t that the suit Cisco was working these past few months.” 

“Yes, it is.” I replied, rotating my arm to look at the braces on my forearms. “Let’s just say me going out is supposed to be a one time thing, and I will not be doing that again.” 

“Really? Cause it looked like you’ve been doing this for a while.” I snorted and shook my head, dropping my arms and planting one on my waist. 

“Yeah, no, I don’t do this on a nightly basis.” I mused as I kicked out my heeled foot. “I prefer a more… relaxing lifestyle.”

“So what is it you do for a living then?” Barry asked as I started running a finger along my bowstring. 

“You mean besides strangling men with my thighs?” I asked innocently, enjoying the way Barry’s face flushed pink. 

“Yeah, other than that.” Barry mumbled shyly. I laughed at his obvious discomfort. 

“I dance,” I answered, waiting for him to figure out just who I was and why I was so familiar with Cisco and Caitlin. 

“Dance, you dance,” Barry mumbled, his eyebrows once against drawing inwards. Then something seemed to click in his mind. “Wait, seriously!?”

“For a smart man,” I said, reaching up and pulling the scarf down from my nose and lips, revealing my true look to Barry. Black hair, blue eyes, signature Snart sass. “You really are slow on the uptake.” I told him, my voice now back to my own, before turning and heading for the exit. It was time to change out of this suit and get home. 

“Libby!?” Barry gaped loudly behind me as I walked away from him.

“That’s my name Allen,” I called over my shoulder. “Don’t wear it out.” 

*****

Well I changed out of the outfit, gave Cisco the rundown of how it had preformed in the field, even if it was for only like five minutes, and headed home. Entering my house, I locked my front door and went to change into more comfortable clothing. 

Passing my kitchen, dining room, and living room, I headed to the back where my bedroom was located. Pulling my shirt off, I tossed it into my laundry basket before shimmying myself out of my pants. Those too got tossed into the basket before I finally removed my bra with a sigh of relief. 

Nothing felt better.

Reaching for a shirt, I pulled on one of my big, soft grey sleep shirts before grabbing a pair of sleep shorts and pulling them on. Taking my hair out of the braid, I shook my black mane out as I head for my kitchen to fix myself a drink.

Nothing ended the day better than a drink and a good book. After rooting around my kitchen, and not finding much since I had yet gone to the grocery store, I decided to break out an old bottle of scotch I had tucked away. 

Pouring myself a hearty glass, I took a sip as I made my way into my living room and sat down, grabbing my latest read and opening to the page I had left off. I read about three chapters, slowly sipping the scotch as I did so, until I found that my mind kept wandering to a certain man, and I was having to reread paragraphs. 

Letting out a sigh, I rubbed my face and shook my head. Four months and I was still enamored with the man… and his muscles… and overall physique that I still wanted to explore with my tongue. 

I was just about to take another sip of my scotch when I noticed it. The feeling that I wasn’t alone. Oliver had drilled it into my head to always listen to those types of feeling. Setting my glass and book down, I got up from couch and headed for my bedroom where I had stashed my bow and quiver.

Making it there, I grabbed my bow and flicked it open before drawing a single arrow from my quiver and silently knocking it. With my bow at the ready to shoot whoever was in my house, I crept out of my bedroom and started tip toeing around, looking for whoever had snuck in. 

Walking on the other side of the hall that led to the kitchen and dining room, I checked those rooms first, peeking in and not seeing anyone in the shadows of my darkened house. Scanning my kitchen and finding it empty, I moved to check the living room. 

As soon as I stepped around the corner, I saw who exactly was in my house. Malcolm turned around to look at me, still in his Dark Archer clothes. We stared at each other for several seconds. 

“What took you so long?” I asked, lowering my bow and unnocking my arrow. Walking over to my side table, I set the two items down as I kept an eye on Malcolm. 

“Sorry I’m late honey, traffic was a bitch.” Malcolm responded humorously while I rolled my eyes and picked up my almost empty glass of scotch. Looking at the minuscule amount of caramel liquid in it, I tossed it back before heading back for the kitchen. 

“Drink?” I asked as I went to the cabinet with my glasses. “Or is my scotch not a high enough caliber for you?”

“Who am I to refuse a drink from Liberty Snart?” Malcolm mused as he lounged in the entryway of my kitchen. Snorting, I grabbed a clean glass and set it down next to mine before pouring two new drinks. 

“You might as well take off that jacket,” I said as I screwed the lid back on the scotch and turned around with the two drinks in my hand. I pressed his into his chest which he grabbed. “You aren’t scaring anyone in this household.” 

It was Malcolm’s turn to snort as he followed me back into the living room. I returned to my seat, sitting down with one leg folded underneath me. Malcolm set his drink down on the coffee table before shrugging out of his black jacket.

My eyes scanned over the black shirt he wore underneath it, and appreciated the muscles I could see outlined. Well I was salivating already, and hopefully I wouldn’t start drooling any time soon. 

Sitting down next to me on my couch, which now felt rather small, Malcolm lounged as he picked his drink back up and took a sip. 

“So I see you picked up archery.” Malcolm asked, cocking an eyebrow. Leaning back on the cushion, I half twisted my body to look at him while shrugging.

“I found I liked it, and I needed an outlet in my life. Archery was it.” I answered before looking down at my drink. 

“So you ran to Oliver Queen of all people.” My eyes flickered up to his. 

“Barry’s idea actually, said that he’d be the best at teaching me along with helping me learn self defense. Oliver took that as train me like I was going to become a vigilante.” I explained, rubbing my wrist. “I think he took pleasure in shooting me with paint balls.” 

“Hmm,” Malcolm mused before taking a sip. “And why would you need an outlet in the first place, Libby?” 

I regarded him with a neutral expression, or at least what I hoped was a neutral expression. Drumming my fingernails on my glass once more, I opted to answer with a truthful response.

“You are a hard man to forget, Mr. Merlyn.” Malcolm tapped his own fingers on his glass seemingly deep in thought. There was a brief period of silence between us. 

“So, you can strangle someone with your thighs?” I closed my eyes and let out sigh as my cheeks heated up. 

“Why? You want me to?” I questioned lightly. “You really want the honest answer to that question?” I opening my eyes and looked into his face, seeing that he had an amused expression on his face. “Haven’t tried, but I probably could, pole workouts require strong legs too, not just a strong core.”

“You ever going to let me see you work a pole?” Malcolm asked with that stupid smirk on his face that I liked. 

“Maybe,” I responded teasingly, leaning back and taking a sip of my drink. “I suppose I’ll have to be in the right mood. That sort of confidence comes and goes like the tide.”

“Really?” He countered, his lips twitching. “Because you seem like the type of woman who has all the confidence in the world.”

“Only when I’m drunk,” I responded coyly before tossing back the rest of my drink. “My confidence is a spiteful bitch who rarely is on time and has perchance for stumbling in long after I need her.” 

“Could have fooled me,” Malcolm commented as I stood up and held out my hand for his empty glass. With curved lips, he handed me his glass and watched as I turned around and headed back to the kitchen. 

Setting the glasses in the sink, I turned the water on to hot and let it heat up while pulling out the dish soap. 

“I’d ask what you’ve been up to but quite frankly I’d rather not have Eobard shove his arm though my chest.” I called over my shoulder as I started scrubbing the glasses with soap, water, and a sponge.

“I don’t think he’d be that extreme,” Malcolm said causing me to glance over and see him leaning against the doorjamb to my kitchen. “You’ve grown on him.”

“Need I remind you that I am neither a fungi, nor a leech?” I questioned with a hint of mirth. Malcolm snorted at my words as I started rinsing off the glasses. With the soap rinsed off, I reached for the hand towel hanging on the wall next to the sink and gave the glasses a quick dry. Once I got them dry, I opened the cabinet they belonged to and stretched up to place them back where I had pulled the from, making my shirt slide down my right shoulder as I did do. 

“So what brings you by?” I finally asked as I set the hand towel back on the hook it rested. Rather than receive a response, I felt Malcolm step up behind me and wrap an arm around my waist. My breath hitched slightly as his finger began to lightly trace the healed M on my right shoulder. 

I didn’t pull away, or slip to the side to put distance between our bodies. I just let him lightly ghost his finger across the scarred skin, and leave behind a burning need and a desire for more. Malcolm’s fingers then moved to the side of my upper arm as warm lips pressed against the rough skin. 

“Malcolm?” I asked, my voice breathy and on the verge of cracking. 

“I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind since Barry ran off with you.” Malcolm murmured, his breath tickling my skin. “You’ve got me so spun up in your web you’re all I can think about Liberty.” 

Hesitantly, I raised my hand, reaching over my shoulder to lightly run my fingers through his dark hair. I wasn’t the only one pining after a nonexistent relationship. 

“You asked why I needed an outlet?” I asked him. “I haven’t been able to forget you, Malcolm, you’re the first thing that comes to my mind when I wake up, and the last thing I think about when going to bed. I’ve done all I can to distract myself from it, but no matter what I do, my mind always go back to you.” 

There was a period of silence as my words sunk in, and ever so softly, I felt his nose run up my shoulder and seconds later warm lips were brushing over my pale, unblemished skin. Shuddering at the anticipation of whatever he was going to do, my entire body trembled as I rested my remaining hand on the sink. 

And then he found that spot on my neck and dove in, opening his mouth and planting one hot, scorching, kiss that sent ripples of burning need out from the epicenter. A shaky sigh of relief escaped my lips as I shuddered in his arms and leaned my head further back into his chest. 

“Please tell me you didn’t come here to just fuck me, because at this point I don’t think I can deal with the whip lash.” 

“You’re brother isn’t going to like this,” Malcom responded in between kisses on my neck. 

“My brother doesn’t like a lot of things and I’d like to do something for myself for once.” I sighed out a few seconds went by before his arms were moving, taking my body up into his arms. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I stared up into his blue eyes before running my fingers across his jaw. “So what do you say?” 

“I’m thinking we should probably hide his freeze gun before I tell him that I’m dating his baby sister.” Malcolm replied before turning around and carrying me out of the kitchen. 

“He’ll get over it eventually.” I said with a hint of a smile. “Now, you gonna make me yours again? I could always use a reminder…” 

The look on his face was well worth not being able to walk right come tomorrow morning.


End file.
